The Jungle
by mosaic23
Summary: Death is not a dangerous thing; it's living that's treacherous. Christian never left the streets. Now he's one of Seattle's most feared criminals hiding in plain sight. HEA NO CHEATING
1. Chapter 1

_**Warning! Dark themes: death, violence, a little bit of gore...**_

My hair lightly tapped the back of my bare shoulders as the light breeze set it in motion. It was the second to last day of summer. The days were growing slightly shorter and the sun seemed to release more of a residual glow compared to its bright beams in June. It felt like the world around you was heaving that one last sigh before the autumn fog would cloak Seattle.

I felt his eyes on me, and I turned my head, getting lost in the stormy depths of his eyes. A lazy smirk crossed his face and I couldn't help but smile back. For all of the darkness that followed him like a cartoon cloud, he made up for it when he smiled. I was caught up in him, forgetting the danger.

—

Two months, three weeks, four days, seven hours, and fourteen minutes had passed since I graduated from Washington State University. Two months, three weeks, seven days, and twenty-seven minutes since Raymond Steele was shot and killed in the line of duty. Not that I was counting, but as each day without work passed, I found myself growing more and more frantic. The only man I ever thought of as a father was gone and all that remained of him was a sizable life insurance policy naming me as the sole beneficiary. I didn't want to touch that money. It was blood money, money that was supposed to keep me happy after Ray passed. Everything else was tied up and in FBI custody while they tried to sort through the mess he left in his wake. It wasn't a really a mess, but it was a complicated web to unweave to determine fact from fiction. There were doubts about his loyalties.

Ray had been approached by the FBI nearly two years ago. With his past as a Marine and his quick ascension through the ranks of the Seattle Police Department, he was an ideal candidate. I still remembered the last words I ever spoke to him.

"It's tough for me to say this, Annie, believe me," he said, sitting across from me. "The FBI want me to run an undercover operation here in Seattle."

"Does that mean you'll still be working for the police department?" I asked, spinning the spaghetti around and around on my fork.

"No, not really. I'm going in- all in. I won't be able to contact you once I'm on the inside," he said. His face finally showed his age- his forty-five years finally catching up to him.

"So what does that mean for us?" I asked, not really wanting to know the answer to that question.

"I'll be in the field for three years, maximum. And then life should return to normal, although I'll be placed in witness protection, I'll be able to see you."

"Why? I mean, why did you take this job? And now?" I asked, blinking back tears. I chose to go to school in Washington to be closer to him, to have the chance to have him back in my life for longer than the precious few years he was married to my mother.

"I don't expect you to understand, sweetheart. The Marine in me still honors the sense of duty that comes with working a job like this. And I have to do this. Seattle isn't as safe as it used to be. If I have the chance to help fix that, I'll take it."

I stood up, shaking. "You're signing your death sentence."

"Annie, wait, please," he begged, standing. "This is to keep you safe!"

"I want to keep you safe too, Raymond!" I spat, watching him wince at the use of his first name.

Those were the last words I ever said to him.

Two years later, it hurt just as much. But, I could thank my lucky stars he wasn't tortured. If he was shot, the people he was investigating knew he was a cop and they could have easily kept him win the verge of death to extract information from him.

"Ana!" I was shaken from my thoughts as Katherine Kavanaugh, my roommate and best friend, began placing bags of groceries on the island of the kitchen. She would happily let me live in the trendy walk-up we shared without paying any rent, but I hated the feeling of being indebted to her parents. Especially now that Ray was gone. "How's your morning going?"

"Still no luck on the job hunt," I said, standing to place my empty mug in the sink. I groaned as I checked my latest email, skimming through the words, "regret" and "thank you for your interest". No one was hiring English majors.

"I don't know why you're looking for a job right now. We just finished working our asses off for the past four years. Take a break, live a little! Especially after Ray," she trailed off, giving me a sad smile. "He'd want you to be happy first."

I rolled my eyes. "Getting a job will make me happy, Kate."

"Anyway, this came for you," she said, handing me an envelope with the FBI logo in the top left corner.

"It's probably to do with Ray's salary or something," I said, opening it. I skimmed through the letter, only to sit down again, shocked.

"Ana?" Kate asked, stepping forward to pick it up off the table. She skimmed the letter. "Why do they want to meet with you in person?"

I shrugged. Deep down I knew why. When I first started dealing with the FBI after Ray's death, they seemed overly interested in my job prospects, in my skills and strengths. They were too interested for it to be friendly. They were considering recruiting me to take over for Ray.

"I have no idea why. I'm not sure I want to," I said shrugging.

"Ana, come on! It's the FBI! The last thing you want to do while job hunting is piss off the government. It's probably just to discuss Ray. Who knows what secrets he had to keep from you. Maybe they'll give you the answers you always wanted," she said, tucking her strawberry blonde hair behind her ears. "I think you should go, regardless of what they'll want to talk about. It will be one step closer to getting the closure you need "

"That's the reporter in you," I teased dryly. "Remember curiosity killed the, cat."

She smiled. "Call them Ana. I'll do it for you if you don't."

I sighed and took the letter to my room, knowing she would do something like that. I dialed the number before I could talk myself out of it.

"Sawyer," the voice said. I knew who Luke Sawyer was, he was the one I had dealt with the most when the FBI first contacted me.

"Hi Luke, it's Anastasia Steele," I said.

"Anastasia, it's very good to hear from you. I'm assuming you received the letter and that's why you're calling," he said. Pausing for a moment, he continued. "Are you free to meet today?"

"Yes I am. I'd rather get this over and done with," I said, biting my lip. "Can you meet me at Café Rouge in fifteen minutes?"

"Yes, of course. I'll see you soon," he said, hanging up. I sighed and began to get changed. I couldn't believe I was about to do this. Shaking my head at my stupidity I tucked a copy of my resume into my bag. I just hoped when Luke gave me more information he'd talk me out of it. That was a long shot. They wanted me for some unknown reason and I was fairly certain I was their last hope in gathering information about the Grey family.

"I'll see you later, Kate!" I called out, leaving the house as quickly as possible to avoid one of her inquisitions. The door shut before she could even say goodbye.

I sighed as I stepped out onto the busy sidewalk. It was a surprisingly clear day and I found myself smiling as I walked to my favorite cafe.

I was sitting at a table, sipping on my tea and reading a newspaper, trying to catch up on what was going on outside of Seattle. Everyday since Ray's death, I meticulously read every article I could get my hands on about the Grey family- tabloids about the youngest sister's partying habits or economic pieces about Christian Grey's steady growing business empire.

"Anastasia," Luke said, offering a hand. He smiled and gestured for me to stand. "Let's take a walk."

We exited the cafe and wandered towards the pier in silence. He motioned for me to sit on a bench overlooking the water. "How are you?"

I shrugged. "As well as can be expected."

He nodded. "Listen, I know you appreciate brutal honestly, so I'm not going to sugar coat anything or beat around the bush."

I nodded. He scanned the surrounding area, taking note of all of the people enjoying the warm summer's day, ready to end the conversation at a moments notice.

"Your father was one of the best undercover agents the FBI ever had the pleasure of working with. And his sacrifice was not for nothing, either. Your father was someone who I could have called a friend," he said. I didn't respond- I didn't know what to say to that.

"We, the FBI believe that you are in a very good position to become an informant. Not a full undercover operative, but we believe you could be a very effective mole. We have another undercover agent who is about to be pulled, but he assures us that Ray's false identity was airtight. The Grey family believes they killed Stephen Morton. And they didn't kill him because they found out about his real job. He was killed accidentally. Anastasia, you have to understand that the people who killed your father are hurting from his loss too," he explained gently.

"That's fucked up," I said. Luke laughed.

"Yes, yes it is. And so it what we're asking you to do," he said. "Being an informant means you will be protected by the FBI as much as possible without any interference on our part. You choose what information to give to us. You will obviously have a job that is close and connected to the Grey family. You will be able to reap all of the rewards for that job. You will also be able to pull out of your role working for the FBI at anytime. However, if you remain connected to the family after you resign, you will be implicated just the same as any family member."

I nodded. "How will I deliver information to you?"

"By letter," he said. "You'll write whatever information you need to and send it to a postbox. Obviously don't mail it from a private mailbox, use a public one. You'll never get a reply. Also you'll have a number you can call in an emergency situation."

"What about my mother," I asked. "I'm not really in contact with her, but what if she asks or talks about Ray?"

"To everyone but you, Katherine Kavanaugh, and the Bureau, Raymond Steele died in a tragic Marine training exercise two years ago," Luke said. "We will brief Kate and explain that Ray was liaising with us about some misconduct in the Marines and the importance of creating a new cover story to protect the investigation he was working on. She will have no idea about your new letter writing hobby and it would need to stay that way."

I nodded. That was a noble story, a noble death for Ray. And my mother wouldn't have concerned herself with his death, nor would she have been notified when it happened. Ray had no other family that would be asking questions either. "What would my cover job be?"

"You will appear on their radar as the new bartender in their bar, Shade of Grey. It's a basic job, but right now you need to focus on building your trust with them. We know you have the bartending experience," Luke said. "And that persona you adopt is exactly what would draw wither Elliot or Christian to you."

I nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'll do it."

Luke smiled. "I knew you would. Now, here's a briefing with everything you need to know. Go over this tonight, and follow all of the instructions. Please don't skip getting a new phone and laptop and taking measures to hide any photos of Ray you might have. In this file are photoshopped images of him you can display instead. Burn the file when you have reviewed it all. Then call this number and set up the emergency line."

I began reading the file. "When should I go to the club?"

"Tomorrow at noon. Also, the undercover agent doesn't know who you are and you won't know who they are. Report any small detail you think is pertinent. We would rather have too much information to sort through than not enough. This will be the last time I'll see you until we extract you or you resign. Be safe, Anastasia," he said, shaking my hand before walking away.

I tucked the file into my bag and headed home to sort through everything in my head. I was doing this to finish what Ray started. He would be proud of me.

Kate wasn't home when I reached home and I quickly swapped all of the photos of Ray in my room. I gathered my laptop and iPad in my bag and left home again. I managed to rent a safety deposit box easily, one that would require ID with the key to open. Depositing the photos and computers, I headed to the local Apple store to pick up a new laptop, phone, and iPad. I walked back to bank and began to transfer some files to my new devices to make it look like I had been using them for a while. No detail was too small to pay attention to. I locked my old phone away, removing the SIM card and placing it in the box too. Ray had been removed form my new life.

I headed back home and locked myself in my room, going over the file. It was pretty basic and I knew my largest hurdle would be getting the job tomorrow. I programed in the emergency number and postbox address into my phone under Grandma. Better than some friend as they suggested. I heard Kate's keys in the lock and quickly hid the file under my mattress.

I emerged from my room. She raised and eyebrow. "It's been two years since Ray's death."

I nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. Officially the Bureau had to be the one to give you the story."

"It's fine, Steele. I just had no idea Ray was ranked that highly and that this it's a national security risk," she said. "How was the meeting?"

"They just informed me that they were going to give you the story," I said. "Also I found an opening at a bar and I think I might try for the job."

She grinned. "That's not a job. You know you love bartending as much as I love Nastia the Bitchy bartender."

I giggled. "I'll be going my Ana this time. This isn't a college bar."

Kate shrugged. "Well I hope this Ana will have your alter ego's personality."

I grinned. "She definitely will."

I spent the rest of the evening in my room reviewing the file and making sure I absorbed every bit of information possible. I was concerned that they wanted me to be noticed by either Christian or Elliot. What happened once they noticed me?

I sighed and turned out the light and went to sleep.

 ** _Please let me know what you think! I love feedback!_**


	2. Chapter 2

I woke up early to review the file and write out questions. Kate had already left for her spinning class and that gave me an opportunity to study and memorize the important pieces of information. It also gave me the chance to burn the file. I would learn more once I began working. Words on a piece of paper rarely translated into real life, and seeing Christian described as lethal intrigued me. The FBI had to know more than what Luke was letting on. And if Ray was killed by "accident", then what would a real hit be described as? It wasn't a given I would get the job, but I was pretty confident. Apparently the bartender, Ryan, had a thing for brunettes.

I drove my Prius to the bar, parking across the road and checking my makeup one last time. This wasn't their popular club downtown, it was their place to come and relax after a long day. It was small and exclusive, but members of the public still drank here, providing them with a very believable cover and making it a true business. I wondered how much of their illegal business was mixed with the legal side of things.

I locked my car, hoping I was dressed correctly in black leather pants, black boots, and a white tank top with a red bra underneath. I pulled open the front door and took a deep breath.

My nose was instantly attuned to the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke as soon as I pushed the doors open. It wasn't dark inside, but it was musty and the air was thick. The wall behind the bar seemed to made of fogged glass, illuminating the entire room and showing off the extensive collection of alcohol. It was strangely peaceful.

I glanced around and spotted a few men nursing their sorrows in the middle of the day, and I confidently walked up to the bar.

"Can I help you miss?" the bartender asked, wiping down a glass with a fluffy white towel.

"I want to work here," I said, meeting this gaze, sliding onto a barstool.

"You have some balls, missy," he responded, not making any other move. I stood meeting his gaze for what seemed like an eternity, refusing to back down. He sighed, placed the glass down on the counter. He didn't look away as he reached under the counter and quickly pulled a gun out and pressed it against my temple. Watching him hold it, I knew it wasn't loaded. The weight of the gun was off and the safety was still on. I took a deep breath but refused to flinch away. He tried not to show his surprise and keep his poker face, but he didn't do a very good job.

"Unfortunately, I'm not an idiot, so you'd have quite a mess to clean up. Plus there are witnesses. And the safety is on," I said, refusing to look away. His hand relaxed and his lips quirked up in a half-smile. I moved his hand away from my temple and placed it on the counter, still holding the gun and allowing him to point it at me.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked. His hair was cut short, close to his head in a buzz cut and his chin was scruffy. His forearms were covered with tattoos and rippling with muscle. He was dangerous, and he made sure I knew that with his stance and dominant behavior.

"Anastasia Steele," I said. "Call me Ana."

"Why the fuck do you want a job here?" he asked.

"I'm bored and no one is hiring english majors," I said evenly, shrugging.

He took a step back. "I want a Scotch."

I glanced behind him and saw the rather large collection. "Irish, Scottish, or American?"

"Scottish."

"Single malt or blended?"

"Blended."

"How much water?"

"Finger."

I took that as an invitation to make his drink. I hopped over the bar, surprising him with my athleticism and grabbed the bottle of blended whisky off the shelf. I mixed the water in it and handed it to him.

"Why are you giving me the expensive stuff?" he asked.

" You'll drink that glass, enjoy it and come back for more. You'll be a bit more tipsy and I'll give you something different, cheaper, and we'll continue that way until you're only paying me for water."

His eyebrows raised. "You're business smart. Although, that's an illegal practice"

"I don't think wasting alcohol, especially nice stuff, is prudent. Nor do I think you always check the age of the patrons you serve. Serving like that wouldn't be the first law you've broken," I said, taking a deep breath. It was a risky card to pull, but one that could open the door to some more information. If this was how this informant thing worked, it was pretty thrilling. I shook that thought out of my head, thinking of Ray. Even though they didn't know he was FBI, he was still dead. Lives meant nothing to these people.

He glanced over at the men who were watching us with glazed eyes. "I'm worried you won't be able to deal with men like that."

"I'll drum up business. A female bartender is what all men want after a hard day. Something easy on the eyes," I retorted. "As for men like that, I'm pretty sure you'll be hard pressed to find someone else who can vault over the bar."

"Thirty days unpaid. Then it's up to the boss," he countered. I stuck out my hand for a handshake. "I'm Ryan."

"Maybe we should hash out the details," I suggested, hoping to understand a little more about the importance of Shades of Grey.

"Right, there are rules. No drinking on the job and no sexing it up with the customers," he began.

"I'm not stupid enough to put myself in a position like that. Plus I worked The Black Bar at Washington State," I said, settling into my bartending persona. He raised his eyebrows. He'd heard of it. Then again, it was urban legend. The bar didn't technically exist- it changed locations every weekend. It was notorious for making the best cocktails in the states and the critics that were lucky enough to find it gave it glowing reviews.

"You let people go into the back room over there if they look like they belong. If they don't, it's your job to toss them out or run interference until one of us can vouch for them. It's up to your discretion and you won't get in trouble for keeping someone out, even if they were supposed to be in there. Don't strike up conversation unless spoken to, and whatever you do, don't get involved in anything that doesn't involve you," Ryan said.

I nodded, desperate to ask why, but I knew I couldn't be perceived as curious. Observation was the key to survival here and I doubted Ryan would be happy if I asked any questions.

"Now that's settled, let's put you to work," Ryan said, handing me a rag and telling me to wipe down the tables. The men were still watching me as I wiped down the chairs and tables, making sure everything was clean. I got lost in the mindlessness of the task, listening to the Black Keys drone on about lost love.

"Hey Ana, you should probably go home and change before the rush tonight. It's Friday," Ryan said. I glanced at the clock and realized I had been wiping down the tables for two hours.

I placed the rag on the bar and Ryan handed me a key. "Don't lose this fucking key. It's the key to the really good stuff, the boss' personal stash."

I nodded and placed the key on my key ring. Ryan nodded to me before I turned around and walked towards the double-doors. "Ana, don't be fucking late either. Seven o'clock or I'll shoot you. It's my ass on the line too. Wear something that shows a bit more skin. You'll get great tips from these guys."

I crossed the road and drive home. I had two hours before I had to be back at the bar.

"I got the job!" I yelled, walking into our living room.

"Yes, Steele! Can Ethan, Jose, and I stop by tonight?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

"You know I won't be able to give you guys discounts yet," I said, grinning.

"It just gives us an excuse to celebrate," she said. "I'll see you there Steele. And nice job, by the way, getting a job at one of the best bars in Seattle. Too bad it isn't The Black Bar."

After showering and throwing on the same pants, I grabbed my favorite crop top. It showed enough stomach and had a pretty deep v-neck. I always made a lot in tips when I wore that particular shirt. It was definitely lucky.

I arrived back at Shades of Grey with fifteen minutes to spare before my shift would start. I parked my car in the same place and saw the line out front that was steadily growing longer and longer. I assumed the bar would official start open seven, so I walked right up to the front and opened the doors and nodded at Ryan who waved his rag at me when he saw me walk in. It was surprisingly busy, people were occupying nearly all of the tables, some dancing to the fast-paced music that was thumping through the speakers. No one really gave me a second glance, until I caught the attention of everyone at the bar by vaulting over it again.

Ryan shook his head at me and I grinned at him, before turning my attention to the crowd that had formed.

"Hey sweetheart, can I have a Jack and Coke?" some guy asked. I flashed him a winning smile and quickly poured his drink, taking his twenty. I returned with $13 in change, but he smiled and told me to keep the change. Ryan noticed this as pointed to jar under the bar with my name on it. I stuffed the cash in the jar and began to take the next order. I surveyed the crowd as I worked, mixing drinks and serving hipster bottles of beer. It was primarily men, dressed in suits. Many looked like they were meeting for after work drinks, but a few were here because it was a trendy place to drink. Everyone was tipping well, and I noticed Ryan was making a steady amount of tips too. Everyone drinking here seemed to have money or come from money.

I thanked my lucky stars as people continued to order simple drinks, mainly beer and hard liquor, nothing that required a paper umbrella and chopped fruit. That's what I hated. I fell into an easy rhythm, and easy smile on my face and putting smiles on the faces of customers and flirting back when necessary. Ryan was just watching me, but he seemed to be impressed at how well I was handling the attention and attempted gropes.

I was filling a pitcher of beer for a guy with blonde hair, who was extremely flirty, when people at the bar began to disperse and move out of the way. I tried to remain focused on my task and tried to steady my breathing, especially as I caught sight of the Grey brothers in my peripheral vision. The two brothers approached the bar and were obviously expecting to be served next. Weighing my options, I decided to ignore them, handing the pitcher of beer to the guy and asked another man who was next what he wanted.

"Excuse me, miss," a smooth and extremely cultured voice interrupted me. I glanced up and raised my eyebrows. "Bottle of Macallan 30. From the cabinet."

I made no move to head to the locked cabinet or any indication that I had heard him. Christian wouldn't notice me if I was passive and I decided he needed to be brought down a few pegs. People were obviously intimated by him, myself included, but I couldn't let him see that. "Please give me a second, sir."

I heard the stifled laughs and then Elliot's loud guffaws. He slapped his younger brother on the back. Christian's eyes were angry, but I could see the hint of a smirk on his face."Would it helped if I ordered it?"

I smiled sweetly at him. "Of course, but you'll have to wait for your turn."

I handed the other man his drinks and he scurried away, obviously afraid of the Grey brothers. Together they towered over nearly everyone, pushing six foot four and their eyes not missing anything that was going on around them. They were scarily alert and I felt their gazes on me as I worked quickly serving people in record time. Ryan jumped in after I made them wait for two minutes, breaking down and serving them the requested bottle of whiskey. They took their bottle and disappeared into the back room.

Ryan pulled me aside. "What the fuck are you doing, Ana?"

I grinned at him. "Just because they are the owner's sons, doesn't mean they should get away with having bad manners. If you're so concerned about it, I'll apologize to the boss, not to his spoiled offspring."

He raised his eyebrows. "Fine, I'll let it go. Just don't push it too far. Go take five before we open up for real."

I jumped over the bar again, getting a round of applause from the crowd. Ryan was obviously scared of Carrick and probably assumed he was the boss to be afraid of, but I knew Christian was the lethal one. And lethally gorgeous too.

As I exited the bathroom, I saw the door of the private room open slightly and Ryan's unmistakable hand and arm holding the handle. I could make out the faint conversation.

"…I like her already Ryan, put her on the payroll."

Ryan spoke up next. "She's already drumming up extra business, and I don't think she'll be a problem."

A woman interrupted him. "You don't have to convince us anymore. She seems to know her way around a bar and how to handle herself. I certainly trust your judgement too. Just be careful- she seems like the type to be able to talk anyone into anything."

"I'll keep an eye out," he said.

"Christian, what do you think?" the woman I assumed was Grace asked.

"She made me wait in line," was all he said, causing the other occupants in the room to chuckle. If I couldn't attract Christian, at least his family seemed interested.

I darted back out to the bar to avoid being caught in the hallway and began serving drinks again and placing the tips in a jar under the bar. Ryan came back, but made no mention of my acceptance by the Grey matriarch and patriarch. I spotted my friends strolling into the bar and grinned.

They approached the bar. Jose whistled, "Dang Steele, stepping it up from The Black, I see."

I grinned at Jose and Ethan. Kate was the one who ordered the drinks. "We want Sex with an Alligator."

"I would hope not," a smooth voice chimed in. Elliot Grey was standing casually next to my best friend, the Rolex on his wrist catching the light and glinting. Kate swallowed nervously, and I tried my best not to laugh at my tongue tied friend. "She knows what she wants."

Elliot turned to me and smirked. "You know what, I'll try it to."

I grinned and gathered four shot glasses. I mixed the melon liqueur with sweet and sour, pouring it into the glasses. I carefully poured the raspberry liqueur so it layered with the green mix and topped the shot off with Jagermeister. Kate grinned as I handed them my signature drink.

"Cheers," Elliot said, tipping the double shot glass back like a pro. He coughed and I began laughing.

"It has a bit of a bite, no?" I asked, smiling smugly at him.

"Yes, but I like it," he said, giving me a salacious grin. "Did you invent this?"

"Yes I did, it's my signature. If you wait your turn at the bar from now on I might make you more of my signature drinks," I said.

"Count on it," he said with a wink. "Can you make another for my brother? He hates shots, but he needs to try this. Yo, Christian!"

I took a deep breath as he approached the bar, his white linen shirt unbuttoned at the top, sleeves rolled up making him look incredibly sexy. He was an attractive and powerful man and I wasn't the only one following him with my eyes. I focused on making the shot and placed it on the bar.

"Have you ever wanted to have sex with an alligator?" Elliot asked.

"What the fuck?" Christian asked. He turned to me, his grey eyes alight with humor. "I apologize for my older brother's crude mouth and lack of a filter."

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not offended, seeing as that's what this drink is called."

He looked mildly embarrassed and surprised. "I see."

"Chris, you have to try it!" Elliot declared, handing it to him. Christian looked at his brother disdainfully and tipped it back. Unlike Elliot, he didn't cough, but merely raised his eyebrows looking at the empty glass.

"Interesting flavor profile," he said, placing the glass back on the counter. He leaned in to say more, but was interrupted by a very loud gunshot. Elliot all but threw Kate over the bar to safety before pulling a gun out of the inside of his suit. Ryan was no where to be seen behind the bar and another gunshot rang our, terrified patrons screaming and running. Kate was cowered next to me, her head in her hands. I spotted a shotgun under the bar, and grabbed it, crawling over to the beer taps that would provide some cover if I stuck my head up. I checked to see if the gun was loaded and all of Ray's words and pieces of advice about guns came rushing back to me. Only two shots had been fired, but no one was leaving. Christian was standing guard of the bar, Ryan was holding the hallway to private room with Carrick, and Elliot was hidden behind a table that had been flipped. It was tense and silent. I stood fully holding the shotgun.

Christian lowered his gun slightly and a barrage of bullets was let loose, shattering the bottles and the glass wall behind us. They were shooting at us on all sides. I saw something move in the darkness, through the broken glass and fired. The person fell to the ground. I heard shots ring out from the other guns, and I managed to take down one more man. When I was confident there was no one coming from the back, I turned around.

I didn't have a clean shot. The guy was raising his gun and pointing it a Christian. Panicking, I jumped over the bar and tackled the guy to the ground, slamming my elbow against his throat, but the element of surprise didn't last very long. I screamed as I felt a knife slice my abdomen. A shot rang out and the guy fell to the ground, crushing me in the process.

Everything began to blur and I could see Ryan running towards me. I passed out before he reached me.

 _ **Wow, thank you so much for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**_

 _ **This story will have an eventual HEA, for those asking. It will be bumpy road, but it will get there.**_

 _ **To the guest reviewer who said this story was making her mad, I agree! There's definitely something fishy going on...**_


	3. Chapter 3

I groaned as the light began to filter back into my vision. My side was throbbing, but I could no longer feel the sharp burn of pain. I blinked a few times, trying to understand my surroundings.

"Anastasia?" I heard a soft voice ask as a warm hand slipped into my own. "Would you like some water?"

I nodded, watching as Grace Grey came into focus. I was lying in a white room on a comfortable bed. It looked like a bedroom, not a hospital room. She floated around the room, her blonde hair swept up in a classy chignon. Even taking care of an injury, she was dressed in a white collared shirt and gorgeous linen pants. I was envious of her grace.

"Where am I?" I croaked, taking a small sip of the water.

"We are at our house, darling. After tonight, it was the safest option for you. Don't worry, I'm a certified, practicing doctor at Seattle Grace Hospital and I was able to stitch you up very quickly. The knife only went in about an inch, and it was a small blade, so the scarring should be less than two inches. You were lucky though. Two inches over and it would have cut your femoral artery," she explained, perching on the side of my bed and still holding your hand.

"What about my friends?" I asked, suddenly panicked as I thought about the sheer look of terror in Kate's eyes.

"All safe, thanks to Elliot. He put them in good hands," she said, giving me a soft squeeze, her blue eyes alight with pride. "It's a good thing we decided to hire a bartender who happened to have excellent aim with a shot gun."

"My stepdad was in the Marines," I explained. "Where are they?"

"My father was in the Army, my mother was too, for a while actually," she said. "We managed to get in contact with Katherine and Ethan's parents who are looking after them, including Jose."

"Thank you," I said, extremely grateful.

"No, thank you, Anastasia. My son could be dead if it wasn't for you," she said, close to tears.

She stood and kissed the top of my head. "Get some rest, sweetheart. You'll be back on your feet in no time."

"Mrs. Grey, um, did anyone die?" I asked, scared to know the answer. Her face hardened.

"One patron passed, but if you're asking about the two men you shot, they are in the hospital. No one died at your hands," she said, leaving the room. I shuddered a deep breath of relief, and tried to relax back into the bed.

I woke up sometime later, to the sound of someone's voice.

"Oh, Ana!" Kate exclaimed, crying as she hugged me gently. I began to cry as well, letting out all of the pent up fear and emotions. We were crying out of sheer relief. We sat embraced for what seemed like hours.

"I'm so glad you're okay," I said when I finally found my voice.

"Me too, Steele. Me too. Jose and Ethan send their love, by the way," she said, wiping her eyes. "I don't really know how you are supposed to recover from something like this, but my parents wanted to let you know that they will set you up with a psychologist or whatever you need."

I smiled. "Please tell them thank you for, Kate."

"Anyways, my parents want me home, but I had to come and visit you," she said, standing.

"Could you help me to bathroom please?" I asked, unsure if my legs were sturdy enough yet.

"Of course," she said, helping me stand. It didn't hurt as much as I thought and Grace said it was just a deep scratch. I walked back to the bed by myself, still moving slowly, though.

"Love you Steele," Kate said blowing me a kiss from the door. "I'll see you at home in a couple of days. Call me when you go back- I don't want you staying there alone."

Before I could protest, she was gone. Someone else knocked on the door, and I was surprised when a short, black-haired girl entered the room.

"I'm Mia, Elliot and Christian's younger sister," she said, placing a tray of food on my lap. I mentally ran through the file in my head and was shocked there was no mention of her. "Mom sent me up with this. You need to eat at least one slice of toast and take an iron pill. You lost quite a lot of blood."

"Thank you so much, Mia. I really appreciate it," I said, realizing how hungry I actually was.

"How are you doing, Anastasia?" Carrick asked, appearing in the doorway.

I swallowed. "I'm surprisingly okay."

He smiled. "That's excellent to hear. We are all really grateful for what you did for Christian last night. And for how you handled yourself with a gun."

I shook my head. "I don't like violence."

He chuckled. "Well that didn't' seem to stop you. Anyways, Grace and I were thinking that we should offer you a different place of employment, one that's much safer than a bar."

I glanced up at him surprised. "What do you mean?"

"You're extremely loyal, even to people that you don't know that well. We would love for you to remain under our employment, but Grace would cut slit my throat if I offered you a position at the club. How would you feel about becoming my temporary assistant? I would give you a glowing recommendation when you decide to leave," he said, still standing at the foot of my bed.

"That would be incredible," I said, shocked. "Do you need a copy of my resume or anything like that?"

"Grace found one in your bag. I apologize for the breach of privacy, but we needed to check your wallet for identification," he said. I glanced at Mia and she glared at me before leaving the room. Carrick watched her go and sighed. "I won't lie to you, Anastasia. Mia was expecting to be offered the job, but since she refused to go to college, I refuse to hire her."

I didn't know how to respond to that and I just nodded. "When do I start?"

Carrick smiled softly. "Meet me at Grey and Sullivan on Monday at 9. Grace said you should be on your feet by then, considering the severity of your wound."

I nodded and went back to eating. I had a feeling Carrick offered me the position out of guilt and curiosity. If it helped pay the bills, I wasn't going to complain. But I needed to write a letter to Luke soon, and I needed to figure out who decided to shoot up the bar.

Grace entered the room a short time later and checked my vitals and re-dressed my stitches. "It's healing very well, Anastasia."

"Please, call me Ana," I said. "Thank you for taking such good care of me."

She grinned. "Only if you call me Grace. And it's my pleasure. Although, it was Christian who started responding to your injury first. We managed to stitch you up before the ambulances even arrived. He would like to come in and talk to you, if that's alright. He's unsure if you would resent him or blame him for the injury."

I balked at that. Grace chuckled and patted my leg. "I'll let him know it's okay to talk to you then. That's just how my son works, Ana."

Grace left and Christian entered the room. "How are you feeling?"

I smiled. "Relieved, and rather comfortable. These pillows are heavenly."

He smiled, looking younger than he had minutes ago. "Thank you for saving my life, Anastasia."

"I don't regret it," I said. "My stepdad would be rolling in his grave if he knew, though."

Christian's face became stoic. "Grace said he was in the Marines."

I nodded. "So was my birth father, but he died before I was one. Ray was the only father figure I really knew. He had to make sure his little girl was able to take care of herself."

Christian smiled. "I think he would be exceptionally proud of you."

I bit my lip. "Christian, I have to ask. Who wanted to target the bar?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his unruly bronze hair, his grey eyes flashing with barely concealed anger. "One of the patrons pissed off a local gang and they came for retribution."

I knew it was a lie and I raised my eyebrows. "Christian, did Ryan tell you how I managed to convince him to hire me?"

He shook his head and I continued. "He pulled a gun on me, but it wasn't loaded and the safety was still on. I could tell all of that from one cursory glance. They weight distribution was off. I also know that the shooting was an assassination attempt. But if a patron was their target, there would be more collateral damage."

Christian continued to gaze at me and I decided to drive the point home. "They didn't shoot at me to kill me. They fired warning shots in my direction to get me on the floor, because they didn't know who I was. This was premeditated and they knew you would shoot from in front of the bar. They knew how you would react and that all of you would be heavily armed. They tried to kill, you, Christian."

He stared at me. Running a hand through his hair and exhaling, he sat down on the bed. "Grace and Carrick come form military families. Guns are part of that life, and since we have reached a certain level of fame, it's necessary to have protection on us at all times. We have a lot of enemies, Anastasia, as you saw last night. However, it cannot be public knowledge that this was an assassination attempt."

"I wasn't going to tell anyone," I said. "But if I'm going to keep working for your family, for my own protection, I need to know how often I can expect something like this to happen."

Christian looked surprised. "Most people would sell the story."

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not most people," I said narrowing my eyes.

He sighed. "This is the third time the bar has been shot up and our club has been set on fire and someone was stabbed there."

I nodded, trying not to let that information shock me. I had no idea why these incidents weren't in my file, as they should be part of the public record.

"We make hefty donations to Seattle Police Department every year in order to keep things like this off the front page. It would reflect badly on Carrick's practice and my business," he explained. Good, I thought. He knows that illegal and legal business practices don't mix. "I need to get going, but I am indebted to you, Miss Steele. Thank you."

I stayed at the Grey's house for another night at Grace's insistence. I didn't see Elliot, Christian, or Mia for the rest of my time there, but Carrick and Grace were lovely hosts. I didn't want to admit that I enjoyed their company or that they were some of the most generous and gracious people I had ever met, but they were. I had to remember what they were capable of, especially after Carrick brought up the loss of one of his good friends, Stephen Morton, who died in a boat accident. I knew he was talking about Ray's undercover identity and it tested my acting abilities to remain sympathetic and not break down in tears over someone I had to pretend I didn't know. Carrick explained more about my duties as his new assistant- fielding calls, organizing meetings, and keeping the law firm running. I was surprised Carrick was willing to entrust some of those activities to me, considering they didn't really know me. It had to have been my loyalty to them.

Grace drove me back to my apartment, and I found myself wanting to see her again. She invited me over for dinner on Saturday evening.

"Hey Steele," Kate said from the kitchen. "That big box by the door came for you, by the way."

"Thanks Kate," I said, heading into the kitchen to grab a pair of scissors.

"Wine?" she asked, holding up a bottle of Chardonnay.

"Yes please," I said. "When did the box arrive?"

"Maybe two or three hours ago," she said pouring wine into two glasses. "I ordered a pizza by the way. I didn't think you'd be up for cooking."

I smiled at her, thankful for her thoughtfulness. She followed me back out into the living room to watch me open the mystery box. I kneeled down slowly, pleased there wasn't any pain from that shift in position. I opened the box and started laughing when I saw what was inside.

"Pillows?" Kate asked confused.

"These are the same pillows that the Grey's have," I explained pulling out two of the plush pillows.

"That's sweet of Grace," Kate said, picking one up. "These are really nice."

"They're not from Grace," I said, picking up the small envelope form the bottom of the box. I opened it to reveal a small note.

 _Anastasia,_

 _I realize this pillows are in no way worth the same as the sacrifice you made, but I hope they speed up your recovery._

 _Christian_

Kate plucked the card from my hands and raised her eyebrows when she saw who the sender was. I ducked my head as I started to blush and picked up the two pillows before retreating to my room. I set the pillows down on the window bench and tried in vain to remember if the file mentioned Mia Grey. Something was off already, and I quickly sent a letter to Luke notifying him of the shooting and the absence of Mia from the FBI's official record.

I rejoined Kate in the living room when I heard her answer the intercom and buzz up the pizza delivery guy. We spent the rest of the evening watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, laughing and drinking our way through the bottle of wine.

I woke up early the next morning and wrapped my stomach in saran wrap before stepping in the shower. Grace was right- it was a very thin, short incision. Much smaller than I had expected it to be. I stole a page from Grace's book, deciding to wear a white button up shirt and navy pencil skirt. Sighing I stepped into nude heels and packed my purse with my iPad, phone, and lunch. Kate waved to me, still sweating from her workout as I left the apartment, giving myself enough time to be able to drive through downtown Seattle during rush hour. That was the one main downside of the job.

I pulled into the underground garage, unsurprised that every car parked was some sort of luxury vehicle. I stumbled slightly in my heels, wincing when I threw my arm out suddenly to steady myself against my car. Slow movements were key. I strolled through the parking lot to the elevator and let it take me up to the top floor.

"Hello, can I help you?" A blonde receptionist asked.

"Um, I'm Anastasia Steele," I said, about to continue before the blonde girl nodded and jumped to her feet.

"Welcome to Grey and Sullivan, Miss Steele. If you'll follow me, we'll get you set up with an ID badge and someone to oversee the official signing of your employment contract," she said, walking through the office to a glass conference room. She offered me something to drink and I shook my head no. "My name is Olivia Edwards by the way. If you need anything, a lunch buddy or anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," I said, genuinely happy to fine someone so welcoming.

"This is a boys club. There are a few female lawyers, but they don't respect any other women unless they are on equal footing. It's ridiculous. I'm scheduled to sit the bar exam in four weeks and they refuse to even acknowledge me," she said, obviously upset. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I really need this job!"

I chuckled. "Don't worry, Olivia, I'm here because I need this job too. And I completely agree with you. Call me Ana, by the way."

She smiled and left the room. A well dressed man in a suit entered the room and shook my hand, pulling out contracts for me to sign. I was shocked at my salary, but I had a feeling Olivia made just as much. Carrick slipped into the room and placed an ID badge on the table.

"Welcome, Anastasia," he said happily, gesturing for me to follow him. The floor was surprisingly noisy as we walked past desks and more glass meeting rooms and offices. "This is the floor for the founding partners and senior partners. We believe in an open concept as not to segregate people from one another. This job can be extremely taxing, but being able to look up and chat to another lawyer easily helps with the morale and promotes collaboration on particularly difficult cases. I do however, have an office."

I took note of the sharply dressed men talking and chatting, some in deep conversations in the conference rooms, others huddled around desks in the middle of the room.

"This is where you'll be working," Carrick said, gesturing to a desk placed right outside of the side entrance to another glass office. There was a glass partition about six feet in front of the desk, creating a kind of hallway to Carrick's office. There were two chairs and a coffee table and I had a feeling I was supposed to babysit people before they took their meetings with Carrick. "Olivia will be in close contact with you, patching through calls, alerting you if there are people who need showing back to my office or to one of the conference rooms. The computer is set up with our calendar system. Honestly, I'm not to picky about your assisting style, so feel free to call me if you have questions. However, I do have an irrational hate for post-it notes, so please only resort to them if you cannot reach me for any reason."

I chuckled. "I think I've got it all. I'll let you know if I have any problems."

I sat down at the desk, my back to the expansive window. I turned the chair to check out the view and smiled to myself when I saw Grey House sitting right across the street. Christian liked to keep his father close. And I had a feeling it was that way around.

The phone rang, causing me to jump, and I quickly grabbed a pen and a legal pad before answering. "Grey and Sullivan, Carrick Grey's office. How may I help you?"

"Hello, this is Boyce Fox. A number of my clients have filed individual complaints against the owner of Shades of Grey. I understand that the owner is Carrick Grey," a commanding voice said.

"Please hold, Mr. Fox," I said, quickly checking the laminated paper explaining how to hold a call and which number to press to get Carrick's line.

"Anastasia?" Carrick asked.

"Uh, I have a Mr. Boyce Fox notifying you of a number of complaints that have been filed," I said, nervously.

"Oh yes, today is Monday. Can you write down the names of the lawyers and the clients please? Just say I'm out of the office on a personal day. I'm afraid almost all of the calls today will being notices of complaints," he responded.

"Of course, Mr. Grey," I said, realizing that I should endeavor to be as professional as possible. I hung up and switched lines again.

"Thank you for holding Mr. Fox. If you don't mind, may I please have the names of your clients? Mr. Grey is out of the office, taking a personal day as you can imagine, especially after what he witnessed on Friday night. I'm sure you understand," I said, laying it on thick. The man on the line cleared his throat and I smirked at his vocal gesture of nervousness. He gave me the names and I created a list under his name.

Another call was patched through as soon as I placed the phone back in the cradle. I followed Carrick's instructions for every call that was patched through after that. Some were genuine, some were angry patrons wanting to yell at someone. I was losing my patience with the last category.

"Excuse me, sir, but I will not be subjected to this abuse," I said raising my voice after he called me a useless whore. "Mr. Grey is out of the office, no doubt trying to recover from the same trauma you experienced! If you want to sue someone or yell at someone, sue the City of Seattle! The bar followed every law when it came to the number of exits and occupancy for a fire! There are no precautions in place if a shooter enters any building. Apparently, that's necessary in this day and age- imagine if this happened in a school! If you want to yell at someone join the gun control protests on Capitol Hill!"

There was silence on the other end of the line, and I hung up, angrily, glancing up at the stares and impressed expressions of the other lawyers on the other side of the glass. Carrick was leaning against the doorway of his office, looking impressed. I was surprised by his reaction- I was certain I would be fired after my little outburst.

"I think you may have found your calling, Anastasia. Why don't you go ahead and take your lunch break now. I'll introduce you to my senior partner after lunch. I think you might be too advanced for this job," he said, strolling back into his office before I could even respond. The other lawyers were still staring and me and some were even smiling in encouragement.

 ** _The response for this story has been absolutely amazing and I want to personally thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read this story! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story as well!_**

 ** _Fun Fact: Boyce Fox is an actual character from the original FSoG Trilogy! Not just a random name from my imagination!_**


	4. Chapter 4

I decided to see if Olivia wanted some company for lunch and she was more than happy to join me in a conference room. She was a very sweet girl and extremely smart and motivated. I liked her instantly.

"I moved back to Seattle after finishing Law and Pre-Law at USC. I really miss the weather," she explained. "I was an intern here, actually holding the same position before Mr. Grey and Mr. Sullivan decided to hire me full time while I'm studying for the bar exam. What about you?"

"I was born in Montesano, and lived with my step-dad for ten years after my father died when I was a baby. My mom remarried and I moved back to Washington from Georgia when I was sixteen to spend more time with him. I wanted to go to school here, so I chose Washington State and just graduated," I explained, leaving out the part about the bar shooting and the real reason I was suddenly on the Grey's radar. I also didn't want to dig up Ray's death either. "What can you tell me about Mr. Sullivan?"

She smiled. "He's a very interesting character. Scary as hell, but very good at his job, actually. He's one of the best in the country. Christian Grey, Carrick's son, actually hired him exclusively oversee all legal work for his company. Grey Enterprises Holdings actually has an interior law department, but with the number of high profile mergers they oversee, Mr. Sullivan is actually needed. Worth his weight in gold, according to the other lawyers here."

"It's interesting he outsources some of his contracts," I mused. She shrugged.

"I don't really know too much about mergers and acquisitions, so I couldn't tell you. Mr. Grey and Mr. Sullivan went to the same high school in Chicago. Both of their fathers were lawyers and they reconnected in Harvard Law before taking over one of Mr. Sullivan's father's many branch firms as one of their own. It's actually a rather sweet story," she said, finishing her salad.

I nodded and finished my sandwich, thanking her for lunch. She was a very lovely girl, and I had a sneaking suspicion she and Kate would get on fabulously.

Carrick was waiting for me and began to walk out of his office. "Let's go introduce you to Barney."

Carrick waited while I packed up my purse and I tried to figure out an appropriate way to apologize to him. "I'm sorry for the way I let my temper get out of control earlier."

Carrick started laughing as we continued to ride the elevator down to the ground floor. "Anastasia, what you said was so incredibly true and you may have just saved me millions. I don't mind how you deliver news or ideas as long as they are correct. However, that isn't really the style of my office."

I swallowed, preparing myself for the inevitable. He continued. "That's why I'm introducing you to Barney. If you want to work at damage control the way you seemed naturally inclined to, it's more his style."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Carrick."

"Did you really think I would fire you after you saved my son's life and managed to convince people to ally with us to sue the government instead of me personally? You're valuable, Anastasia, and I think you would be much better suited to learn under Barney," Carrick said, leading me out of the law firm's building and across the street.

We strolled through the imposing, automatic doors of Grey House and I tried to stifle my awe as I took in the modern, white, and imposing interior. It screamed power and it screamed Christian.

Carrick strolled towards a long desk full of gorgeous blondes. They all sat up straighter and the one who he chose to talk to looked as though she had won the lottery. "Mr. Grey, how I help you?"

She simpered as Carrick leaned in to talk to her. I wasn't blind and I could easily admit that Carrick was a very attractive man with his salt and pepper hair and deep blue eyes. He took good care of himself, and I vaguely wondered if his fitness level was conducive to his other job. Carrick handed me a sticker and I stuck it to my blouse.

"Taylor," Carrick acknowledged, as a man with a buzzcut and black suit appeared at our sides out of nowhere.

"Mr. Grey, Miss Steele, Mr. Grey would like you both to join him for a late lunch once your business with Mr. Sullivan is concluded," Taylor said, stoically.

"I already took my lunch," I said, glancing up at Carrick.

"Join us anyway," Carrick said, as we stepped into an elevator heading for the top floor. People in the elevator were staring, obviously recognizing Taylor and Carrick. I had a distinct feeling that Taylor was Christian's close protection officer and something more.

Carrick and Taylor both waited for me to exit the elevator and I strolled into another reception area. Another blonde stood to her feet.

"Mr. Grey, Mr. Sullivan is waiting for you in conference room two. Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked. Carrick stiffened, obviously displeased that she hadn't made a move to acknowledge me.

"Anastasia?" he asked. The receptionist took one look at me and tried very hard not to sneer. It wasn't like I was wearing some cheap skirt from Walmart- this outfit was a gift from the Kavanaugh's, and knowing them, it cost an arm and a leg. I rolled my eyes at her, causing her to look shocked at my blatant lack of respect. She tried to establish herself as superior and obviously failed. I patted myself on the back, finally using one of Kate's trademark moves to establish a level of dominance among other women. I shook my head. I glanced slyly at Carrick and Taylor who were both trying to school their faces into neutral expressions. Carrick started walking to the double doors, and pulled one open for me and I strolled into the main room. Carrick's office was only partitioned by clear glass, but everywhere I looked, there were fogged glass walls. It was slightly eerie, as the light could still filter through, but it prevented any wandering eyes from seeing what was going on in each room. The views from every side of the floor were absolutely incredible.

Carrick pulled open a door with a number two painted above the sleek metal handle.

"Miss Steele, it's a pleasure," the man said, standing. He was taller than Carrick, and was much more intimidating.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Sullivan," I responded, refusing to show my intimidation.

"It's Barney, to you, Miss Steele," he said, chuckling. "May I call you Anastasia?"

I nodded and took a seat across from him. Carrick left the room.

"When I received the call from Carrick, I was very intrigued to say in the least," he said. "But before we start, I need you to sign a few non-disclosure agreements."

I nodded and skimmed through the papers and signed four separate agreements.

"Now, Anastasia, how much do you know about the Grey family business?" he asked.

"Not too much. I know you and Carrick are both high profile lawyers, that Grace is a pediatrician at Seattle Grace, Elliot is in the construction business, and Christian owns this company, focusing on mergers and acquisitions," I explained. "They also own a bar and a club."

"Astute observations. Carrick has informed me that you are trustworthy, loyal, and above all, discreet. Therefore, I feel comfortable taking you under my wing so to speak. How much do you know about The Jungle?" he asked.

"You mean the homeless encampment by the freeway?" I asked, extremely interested to see where this was going. The Jungle was the main homeless encampment in Seattle. There were constant battles within City Hall, the State, and even local residents to get it shut down that usually ended in violence and exploitation.

"Yes, Mr. Grey has been having some issues with some of the residents," he explained. "What I am about to tell you cannot be spoken of to anyone, expect for myself and Christian."

I nodded. "I just signed the NDA, Barney."

He smirked at me, his brown eyes watching me shrewdly. "Christian is from The Jungle. And the woman who took him from there is threatening to expose some very unsavory information about him. Now, Carrick said you show promise as someone who might be able to work in the unofficial department of damage control. It's not illegal, but no company wants to admit that they have people in specialized positions running clean up operations. You will in close contact with the PR, HR, and legal departments. I will be introducing you to Gwen Bailey who will be your boss."

I paused, unsure if I should ask the question that was at the front of my mind. I swallowed and asked anyway. "These clean up operations thrive in the grey area of laws, don't they?"

Barney nodded as the door opened. A petite redhead swept into the room, grinning at me. "Anastasia Steele, I have heard good things."

"Gwen Bailey?" I asked shaking her hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said. "I have had many people try to work with me, but very few of them have enough talent or simple intelligence to do the job. Already you seem to show a natural talent for this line of work."

"Thank you," I said, surprised that everyone seemed to be so interested in me and some kind of latent talent they thought I had.

"Anastasia, I'll see you after you finish up lunch with Carrick and Christian," she said, leaving the room once again.

Barney turned to me again. "I'm very glad you'll be working under Christian's umbrella, Anastasia. Carrick won't be able to protect you once he loses power."

I paused. Barney seemed to know more than what he was offering by this veiled warning. "Because when Christian takes the family power, Elliot will be on a war path."

Barney raised his eyebrows. "Watch your back, Miss Steele."

I left the conference room and walked towards another reception area, with yet another blonde seated behind a desk. I bristled ready for more judgement, but I was met with a kind smile.

"Miss Steele, I've been asked to ask you to wait here," she said. "Please take a seat."

I heard a crash coming from behind more fogged glass and I looked at the receptionist in surprise. She shrugged and began making more calls. I could hear voices becoming louder and louder behind the glass.

"Anastasia?" A tall African-American woman asked. She was more intimidating than Christian and Barney combined, her eyes appraising me in one sweep. It had to have been her level of confidence that intimidated me. Her hair was cut in sleek, chic bob, and I made a mental note to get a better hair cut. "My name is Ros Bailey. Christian is a bit occupied at the moment, so Gwen and I decided to take you to lunch."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I said, happy that I wouldn't have to walk into that office, where another crash altered me that there was some kind of fight going on.

Ros smiled, and we began to walk to the other side of the floor. Some of the offices and conference rooms now had clear glass, and I could have sworn they were fogged glass before.

"Weren't those rooms more private before?" I asked, gesturing to the offices and empty conference rooms.

She chuckled. "There's a button that controls the glass. You can decide if you want it fogged or clear."

"I thought I was going insane for a second," I explained, cursing my stupidity.

"At least you noticed," she said chuckling. "Let's go and find my lovely wife."

Gwen popped out of an office and grinned at me. "I hope my wife hasn't been too tough on you. Her management style is to bust anyone's balls, even people that don't work for her. Because she's a such huge fan of pussies, she tries to turn everyone into one."

I blanched, my mouth dropping open at that comment. I glanced up at Ros who threw her head back laughing and back to Gwen who was grinning at me mischievously. I was blushing furiously and I had no idea how to respond to that comment.

"Relax, Ana!" Ros said, smiling kindly at my embarrassment. "There's a reason Christian hired us."

"We keep him from becoming too arrogant, or growing a dick too large," Gwen said happily as we stepped into the elevator. "We also keep him on a leash."

"I'm surprised he let's you two dominate him like that," I said boldly. They exchanged a look and grinned.

"You have no idea," Gwen said, winking at me.

Ros and Gwen were the epitome of a power couple, and I found myself rather envious of their success and happiness. I knew that Ros was the Chief Operating Officer, basically his second in command. She apparently took on many responsibilities that an executive support officer would be in charge of, and I knew she was nearly his equal. Gwen's job wasn't really titled, but for formalities, she was a Senior Vice President of Human Resources.

"I'm a fixer. I take care of all of the problems other departments can't handle due to confidentiality issues, the sheer scale of the particular fuck up, or because they are 'incompetent fools' who aren't smart enough to think of a solution," Gwen explained to me. "Those were Christian's own words from an angry email he sent to the public relations department last speaking I'm a Senior Vice President of Human Resources, but I share that title with someone else who actually does the human resources stuff a bit more seriously. I'm essentially the third in command here, after Ros, and then of course, our favorite CEO."

"I was hired as your intern, right?" I asked, remembering the forms I signed with Barney.

"Yes, although you will report to Barney occasionally. He seems to believe I'm very good at my job, but function with little regard to development of future talent. He hopes to develop you into my equal in the next few years," she explained. "Where do you want to go, babe?"

Ros turned to me. "Do you have a request?"

I shook my head. "I ate with the other assistant back at Grey and Sullivan."

"Let's go to the cafe, then," Gwen said, leading the way.

"I realize this is all very overwhelming, but full immersion is the quickest way to learn at a company like this," Ros said. "Especially for your job responsibilities."

I nodded and followed Gwen into the cafe. We ordered and sat at table, chatting more about their experience at GEH and how the came to work at the company. I started on my second cup of tea, if could even be called that according to Ros, when the chair next to me was pulled out by an extremely well-manicured, masculine hand. I looked up and was caught up in the concerned gaze of one Christian Grey.

"Anastasia, how are you? It's been quite a day for you," he asked, sitting next to me. "How are you recovering?"

"Very well, thank you," I responded with a small smile. I felt bold. "Have you recovered from your temper tantrum this afternoon?"

His mouth popped open and I heard Ros and Gwen coughing, trying to disguise their laughter. He quirked an eyebrow, but his eyes looked incredibly dangerous. "I have, Miss Steele. Thank you for your concern."

I nodded and went back to my tea. I knew Christian respected me, and I had to keep him guessing and interested in order to really gain his full trust.

"Are you not eating?" he asked. I looked up, caught off guard by his question.

"I already ate," I said. "Not that my nutrition habits are any business of yours."

He stared me down. I wanted to look away, but I refused to let him win. "I need you keep your strength up for a job like this. Especially since you are still healing."

I rolled my eyes. "It's a desk job, Christian."

"You didn't tell her what she was getting into?" Gwen asked, surprised and a little bit angry. "Ana, we rarely work behind a desk. Most of what we do requires us to be in top physical condition and carry guns."

I raised my eyebrows. "This is the grey area of the law right? It sounds more like prostitution for a pimp."

Christian coughed. "I have been called many things, but never a pimp. This certainly takes the cake."

Ros chuckled and nodded. "Prostitution is well within the grey area of the law. You'll learn that very fast, especially when we have to clean up the messes of GEH employees. We have to get you back in time for your meeting with Welch."

I smiled. "Thank you for a wonderful lunch break."

We left the cafe, and I ignored the stares and whispers of the other patrons. It probably wasn't everyday they saw the three highest ranking people from one company, especially considering how interested the general public was when it came to the Grey family.

All three of them dropped me off in a conference room where a young man with black, square glasses was waiting.

"Miss Steele? Please have a seat. My name is Welch, just Welch. I'm here to go over the results of your background check with you," he said. I sat down, slightly nervous that the FBI hadn't changed the circumstances of Ray's death.

He started off running through my personal history, and I felt extremely relieved when he had only managed to find the false story of Ray's death.

"You're estranged from your mother, correct?" he asked.

I nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"When employees, especially those closest to Mr. Grey are estranged from family members, they usually become targets for blackmail and sometime violence. We believe it's our philosophy to keep those employees safe," he explained. "If it becomes an issue, all you will have to do is notify me, or your superior and it will be taken care of, no questions asked."

I nodded in response, feeling as though the words "take care of" meant something entirely different than a hefty pay day. Welch was Christian's go to man for everything involving security or technology. He had to know something. I made a mental note to write to Luke and mention him.

I left the conference room and headed to Gwen's office. She opened the door when I knocked, and gestured for me to sit at a small desk.

"This is your tiny intern desk that you will hardly ever use, save for emails, or times you need a place to escape," she said. Her office was light and sleek. Unlike other parts of the floor and other offices, she had three real walls and a floor to ceiling window with a spectacular view of Seattle. "If you think this office is incredible, wait until you see Mr. Grey's."

I nodded in agreement as she showed me the private bathroom she shared with Ros and how to work the fogged glass controls for the door. I noticed a gorgeous black and white photograph of Ros and Gwen, their arms around each other as they smiled at one another. It was familiar in a sense, and absolutely stunning. "Who took this photo?"

She smiled. "It was a gift form Christian for our fifth anniversary. He had it commissioned by Jose Rodriguez, an up and coming photographer."

I grinned. "Jose is actually a very close personal friend of mine."

Gwen smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "How did you two meet?"

"We were in the same drawing seminar freshman year," I explained, pleased that he had managed to do some work for such a high profile client. "May I take a picture of it in your office to send to him?"

She nodded and was busy texting someone on her phone. I quickly sent the picture to Jose, dropping the subject and hoping that the reason behind her reaction was just melancholy.

"Now we get to work, Anastasia," she said, motioning for me to sit next to her on the white leather sofa. "Christian is a silent partner in the salon chain, Esclava. There's a reason he's a silent partner, but recently, he's been having some questions about the financial reports. You and I will be meeting with the CFO, Issac Reynolds. You will be doing the talking, and I'm treating this as an exercise. He can't fire you and his job isn't really in danger, so there's no risk if you do happen to piss him off for any reason."

I thumbed through the financial statements, wondering what the miscellaneous charges were. Everything else was meticulously labeled. But I was more concerned about the charges for things like electricity and gas that were exorbitant, well over the price they should be, but charged very quickly one after the other. "Let's go."

Gwen smiled. "Follow me."

Gwen strolled into another office, ignoring the receptionist's protests about appointments, and that Mr. Reynolds was on a very important conference call. I smiled apologetically at her, as I followed my boss into the fogged glass room.

He was facing the window with his chair swiveled so his back was to us. He moaned and I gasped. Gwen's eyebrows rose.

"Shit!" he swore, frantically trying to pull up his pants. Someone pushed him back into the chair so he was seated and a blonde head slowly appeared. The woman stood, towering over him in horrendously high heels and slapped him hard across the face. Her leather top was zipped down completely, and her obviously enhanced breasts were on full display. I managed to hold back a laugh when I noticed her areolas had been surgically altered into hearts. Gwen glowered at the woman, and I was suddenly very trepidatious. The woman looked up, her anger disputing and a fake smile on her overly plump lips. Her face was completely smooth, and I had no idea how old this woman was, except she was well over her forties.

"Gwen! I'm so sorry you had to walk in on this!" she explained with false humility. She grinned at Gwen who was getting angrier and angrier by the second. "You're the perfect person to ask, actually. How do you like my new breasts?"

I instantly hated this woman, but now I was livid. "You could be in a freak show."

The blonde woman glared at me, zipped up her top, making sure her plentiful cleavage was still visible. "Dear me, someone doesn't know how to respect their superiors."

She laughed, and it was an awful nasally sound. "Someone doesn't understand respect at all."

I raised my eyebrows at her. "Gwen, why don't you go and alert security that an unwelcome visitor is on the 31st floor, harassing an employee on her very first day."

Gwen stormed out of the room, leaving me and the fuming blonde bitch. She set of every single alarm bell in my head. "I happen to have an all access pass, darling."

"Give it to me," I said, holding out my hand. She walked out from behind the desk, wearing sheer black panties. I giggled as I saw her bedazzled skin and she glared at me handing me the card. I was shocked when I saw she wasn't lying. "Please get dressed, Mrs. Lincoln."

"And if I refuse?" she asked, challenging me.

"That's fine," I said. I pulled out my phone and called Christian's personal line. "Hi Christian. I didn't realize it was part of my job description to take out the trash. I thought you thought more highly of me."

He chuckled darkly. "Is that so, Miss Steele. Well, you aren't the average intern."

I kept eye contact with Elena Lincoln as I continued laying it on thick. "I know I'm above average, but I still might need a little bit of help."

"What can I do for you Anastasia?" he asked, curiously.

"Please come into Mr. Reynold's office immediately. I have a sort of, how should I say this, gift, for you," I said, watching Elena huff and look slightly apprehensive.

The door opened and I hung up as I watched Christian's eyes sweep over the scene in front of him. "Elena."

She grinned at him and strolled towards him. Placing her hand on his chest, he looked terrified and froze. I rolled my eyes and pulled her hand off his chest and stood in front of her, my back to a very scared Christian. I was eye level with her enormous breasts and I glared at her.

"Christian, you need to do a much better job controlling your employees!" she admonished, stepping back and pulling on ridiculously tight black leather pants.

"Just like you have an all access card, I have the full backing from the CEO behind me, his HR, law, and PR department to do as I wish. And right now, I would like you to leave so I can have an important discussion with Mr. Reynolds," I said, watching her try and figure me out. "I don't quite understand what I walked in on, and I would really like to forget about it, so I'm going to be generous and give you a free pass. You see, because I have the full support of GEH to do what I please, all I have to do is hit myself on the side of the desk and run crying muttering something about assault. Your slap didn't go unnoticed, Mrs. Lincoln. It will be my word versus your's. I realize that some people might not believe me. That's fine, but since you seem to have some kind of hold over Mr. Grey here, if that were to pop up during the court case, I think they would be more inclined to side with me. And that's what would happen. Or I could cry self defense after shooting you with this gun."

I pulled up my skirt to reveal the tiny gun strapped to the inside of my thigh. I decided to continue. "Now it's pretty nasty being shot by one of these. You won't die and I don't like killing people. It would probably mean a lot of reconstructive surgery though. You see, Elena. You don't mind if I call you that, do you? I know everything. Everything about your sordid history with Mr. Grey, who you are, what you've done, what you are capable of doing. After I call the police screaming assault or self-defense, all it will take is a few whispers dropped strategically to ruin your reputation. But, as I mentioned before, I will give you a free pass this time. Use it."

She nodded and quietly left the office as Taylor opened the door. Issac Reynolds looked positively terrified. I took a deep breath and turned to Christian who regarded me with a furious expression on his face.

"Who told you about her?" he whispered, true menace slipping into his tone. For the first time, I was scared.

"I have no idea who she is," I said softly, touching his arm gently. He took a step back.

"I don't believe you," he said softly, dangerously.

 _ **Let's give a warm welcome to Elena Lincoln! Driving a wedge between Christian and Ana since day one! Thank you for all of the support and reviews- I am so encouraged by your support!**_

 _ **I created a Pinterest board for this story- check my profile page for details if you're interested. Also please check out my other story The Fling!**_


	5. Chapter 5

"Mr. Reynolds, Mrs. Bailey will be following up with you momentarily," I said, heading towards the office door. Christian followed behind me and I felt his gaze burn my back. He was furious. I swallowed as I strolled into his office, trying to control my features as I sat down on the couch in his office.

"What do you know?" he asked, evenly standing over me.

"Well, she's a bitch, that much is obvious," I said.

"Don't get smart and stop stalling Miss Steele," he hissed.

His eyes were dark and stormy, angry and I was becoming more and more afraid. "I deduced a few things. She obviously has some kind of hold over you, considering she has an all access pass. You're afraid of her, especially so, because she abuses your haphephobia. And I think she has a reputation she wants to protect."

He sighed and poured himself a drink of whiskey from a sideboard across the office. "How do you know about my fear of being touched?"

I swallowed. This was the moment I could tell Christian the truth and let him in, or just impress him with some bullshit story about reading facial features. "When I was younger I had to deal with something similar."

His eyes narrowed. "That didn't show up in your background check."

I rolled my eyes. "I had the records of those hospital visits expunged."

He downed his drink and poured another on. "I still don't believe you when you say you don't know anything about Elena."

"I'll prove that you can trust me," I said, standing up. "If you'll excuse me, Boss, I've had a very rough 72 hours and I would like to go home a little early today. I'm sure you understand."

He nodded. The intercom on his desk buzzed, and the voice of his assistant filled the office. "Mr. Grey your four o'clock appointment is here."

He walked over to the desk and responded. "Please send them in as soon as Miss Steele leaves."

I nodded at him and exited his office.

"Ana?" I heard my name, and I turned around to the couch. Jose and his father, Jose Sr. were sitting on the couch dressed in suits.

"Jose! And Jose! What a surprise," I exclaimed, heading over to greet them. Jose Sr. kissed my cheeks.

"You're looking well," he said, giving me a small smile.

I laughed. "You mean tired, right? I'm actually on my way out for the day."

"You look good up in here, working on this floor. Much better than that bar," Jose Jr. said. "I'm glad you weren't too injured. I'll stop over later alright?"

"Thanks Jose. I know Kate will be glad to see you," I said, giving them both a small wave.

"Mr. Rodriguez!" Christian all but barked from the doorway into his office. I glanced at him, and had to bite down a retort. Christian Grey made one attractive man when he was angry. And all I wanted to do was push his buttons.

"Ana, I'm so sorry!" Gwen exclaimed as soon as I strolled into her office.

"No harm, no foul," I said. She looked relieved. "This is what you do all day?"

She nodded, and sat back down at her desk. "But most of the time it's much more dangerous."

I sat at my small glass desk and nodded. "You're welcome to head home early today. I know you're still injured and I'd like to get to work on another project pretty soon."

"Well, if you don't mind," I said, standing and gathering my stuff.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ana," Gwen said, dismissing me. I sighed as I exited her office and strolled towards the elevators. Welch was still in the conference room and he glanced up and watched me enter the elevator. It was mildly unnerving to say in the least.

After picking up my Prius and some of my belongings from Carrick's office, I slipped Olivia my number and headed back home, and invitation to join Carrick and Grace for Sunday brunch and promises to see Olivia tomorrow for lunch. I had a feeling I wouldn't be taking lunch at usual times of the day.

"Steele! How was it?" Kate asked before I even stepped through the threshold. She was standing in the kitchen, making herself some green smoothie.

"I'm exhausted," I said, putting my stuff on the table by the door. "Can you wake me up at 5:30? I need a nap."

"Sure thing! Jose said he saw you today and that he's coming over later. Ethan is coming too," Kate said. "We can order Chinese if you don't feel like cooking."

"Thanks, Katie," I said, retreating into my room. Before I could sleep, I had to write down questions I had for Luke. He wouldn't be able to answer them, but this whole thing was making more and more suspicious of the FBI as well.

I rubbed my eyes. How screwed up was it that I was beginning to trust criminals more than the FBI? I jotted down some notes on a piece of paper and hid it in the back of my closet before flopping down on my bed and succumbing to sleep.

"Ana, it's time to wake up!" Kate's voice drifted through the layers of sleep.

"I'm up," I mumbled, dragging myself out of bed and into a sweater and leggings. I fished the paper out of the closet and quickly drafted a letter. I quirked the fact that Mia was missing from the file, as were all of the incidents from the club and the bar even though they should be a matter of public record, and asking Luke what crimes the Grey family had committed that made the FBI so suspicious in the first place.

Kate was sitting on the couch, a plate of food propped up on her knees.

"So how was your first day?" she asked, handing me my own plate.

"I started the day off as Carrick's assistant and found myself working directly for Christian by the end of it," I said. "Trust me, I don't fully understand either."

"That's a great promotion from bartending," Kate said, eyebrows raised. "What exactly happened?"

"I can't disclose that. The Grey family are huge fans of NDAs- I think I signed seven today in total," I explained.

"Can you tell me about your new job with Christian then?" she asked.

"It's human resources combined with a lot of crisis management," I said, keeping it vague. "Everything thinks I show a lot of potential."

"Damn, Steele. They must like you if they have you cleaning up they're messes," she teased, taking a sip of wine.

I snorted. "It's not what I thought I would end up doing, but the salary is keeping me interested."

"I know you want to go into publishing and become an editor one day, but those jobs are so competitive. Just think about the personal recommendation you could get from the Christian Grey after working for him for at least a year. Everyone will be dying to hire you," she said.

"You're right, it's just there's a lot of ethical shit I might have to deal with," I said, placing my empty plate on the coffee table.

"So stay a year, and then ask for a recommendation," Kate said. "And just think of this as novel material if you decide to become an author or something yourself one day."

I sighed and sank back into the couch cushions. "You're right. I'm just tired and very out of my element here."

She grinned. "Is he still just as hot?"

I laughed. "You have no idea, Kate. When he gets pissed I just want to piss him off more."

She laughed and elbowed me. "You want to be punished!"

We both dissolved into giggles at that. "Oh yeah, that's what I meant to say. My parents want Ethan and I to spend time with them in Barbados next next week. They invited you along, but I don't know what your work situation is like."

I frowned. "I'll ask, but I don't think I'll be able to. Please tell Eamon and Eleanor thank you from me."

She nodded. Before she could respond the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" she said, swinging the front door open. I saw Taylor, the security guy standing at our door. "Who are you?"

"My name is Jason Taylor, miss," he said to Kate. "I need to speak to Miss Steele, please."

I stood up and strolled open to the door. "How can I help you?"

"Privately, if possible," he said, his face remaining carefully stoic. I stepped out of the apartment and waved at him to follow me up to the roof garden. His eyes scanned the terrace. "Are there cameras?"

I shook my head. "What can I do for you?"

"Miss Steele, it has come to my attention that your background check had a very large red flag. Welch instructed me to talk to you first before going to Mr. Grey with the information," he explained. "I could lose my job for breaking the chain of command like this."

"What red flag?" I asked, hoping that it was something to do with my mother and not my father.

"Who is Bob Adams to you?" he asked. I knew he knew the answer and his eyes went soft at my change in demeanor. "He's the one who put you in hospital those times, correct?"

I nodded. "You can tell Mr. Grey."

He shook his head. "I think that's a conversation you should have with him personally. Again, I could get fired for saying this, but you two have a lot more in common than you think."

I nodded. "Thank you, Taylor."

"Miss Steele, a word of advice," he said. "It did not go unnoticed in the office that you are friends with Misters Rodriguez. I would advise you to keep your distance from them as much as possible."

I frowned. "Jose Jr. is one of my best friends."

"He's much more dangerous than you think, and now he knows your place of employment, I would endeavor to politely sever ties with him gradually," he said, walking away and leaving me dumbfounded on the terrace.

I shook my head and headed back inside. Kate glanced at me curiously. "What did he want?"

"He's the head of security and wanted to make sure that I understood the protocol for getting back into the building early tomorrow morning. I have a seven o'clock meeting," I lied. I was shocked at how easily the lies were flowing out of me and how I could seemingly talk myself out of any situation now. "I'm going to head to bed. Please tell Jose and Ethan I say hi."

I left the room before she could respond, heading straight for the shower to wash the day away. I did everything in my power to let all thoughts of Bob out of my head, but I knew I was in for a rough night of sleep as I climbed into bed. I hated the fact after all of these years he still had a sick, psychological hold on me.

I woke up screaming at six. I heard Kate moving around in the kitchen and I quickly dressed in some workout clothes. "I'm going to head out for a quick run."

She smiled. "You okay?"

I nodded. "Just another nightmare. I'm sorry if I woke you."

She shook her head no and I headed out the door. Setting a brisk pace, I ran towards the water front and along the path for five minutes before I felt someone following me. "Don't scream, it's me."

I followed Luke off the path and into some bushes. "What's going on? I shouldn't be seen with you."

He shook his head. "You're being tailed by a CPO, but that's not important. Mia Grey is the other informant. That's why there's so much information missing from the file."

I nodded. "What exactly do you think the Greys are guilty for?"

He swallowed. "Extortion, blackmail, weapons trafficking, drug trafficking, and money laundering."

I raised an eyebrow. "How much proof do you have?"

"Just what Mia has said," he said.

"Has she given you any concrete evidence? Evidence that could stand up in court?" I asked, getting frustrated. It seemed like Mia had some sort of vendetta against her family.

"No," he said. "But with what you've been reporting, we might get more."

"I haven't been providing you with any concrete evidence," I said. "It seems like all you want is information. That's making me suspicious."

"We need to get our bearings before we ask judges for search warrants," he explained. I stared at him evenly and ran out of the bush ending the conversation. Luke was getting information and I suddenly realized that no one but him had briefed or offered me the position to take over for Ray. And he wasn't even the senior officer on Ray's case. I was extremely angry, angry that he had been playing me.

I calmed more as I ran trying to rationalize everything. I needed to get to the bottom of Mia's mysterious behavior and figure out if Luke was telling the truth before I switched loyalties. And I needed to know if I could handle taking part in some seriously illegal activity.

I ran back home and into the shower, pulling on a navy dress and black pumps before heading out the door and back to Grey House. After parking and heading up to the office, I decided to make an appointment to see Christian.

"My name is Anastasia Steele," I said to his alone receptionist. "I'd like to take the next available appointment to see Mr. Grey please."

"He's in the office right now, you can go on in," she said, waving me through.

"Miss Steele, what a surprise," Christian said, standing from his chair.

"There were some issues with my background check," I said., refusing to beat around the bush. "And I need to know what's going on with your sister."

His brow furrowed. "What are you telling me?"

"Bob Adams," I said. "You'll find the rest in the updated background check Welch will send you. Your sister is quite the party girl."

He nodded. "What's wrong?"

"I was looking through the list of issues that need to be taken care of and Mia's public image was one of them. I'd like to work on that before working on any of the others. It seems like she is intentionally trying to sabotage your image directly," I explained, hoping he would buy it.

"Miss Steele, matters of the family are very delicate, especially where Mia is concerned. I will need to talk with her first," he explained.

"Yes, sir," I responded. His eyes darkened considerably and I nearly shivered at the intensity of his gaze.

"Is that all Miss Steele?" he asked, his voice softer, deadly.

I nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Grey. I'll see you later."

 _ **Thank you for all of the reviews and follows and favorites! This chapter is a short filler chapter and I promise we will get back to action soon. I created a Pinterest board for this story the link is on my profile or you can find it under /mosaic23/**_

 _ **I'm also toying with the idea of a CPOV chapter- please let me know what you think!**_


	6. Chapter 6

I escaped back into the sanctuary of Gwen's office. It was bad enough that Christian still didn't seem to trust me, not that I could blame him, but I was more upset that he would know about my past. A past I tried in vain to put behind me and forget. Gwen burst into the office with a very flustered Issac Reynolds behind her.

"Ana!" she called, waving me over to her desk. "We have proof that Ms. Lincoln was embezzling money from the salons. Issac and I found her account!"

I jumped up and glanced at the account numbers. "Three million?"

Issac nodded. "I was aware she was siphoning money. Just not the extent of the damage."

I looked at Gwen who shrugged. "We'll help you deal with the fallout of this. Mr. Grey still speaks very highly of you, so I don't think your job is in danger. He'll probably suspend you, realize he doesn't like working with anyone else and reinstate you."

I bit my lip. Somehow I doubted that he could handle change well. "I'll go and brief Mr. Grey."

Gwen handed me the papers. "I'll start working with Barney to figure out how to remove pictures from Ms. Lincoln's possession."

I strolled into Christian's office and placed the spread sheets on his desk. "Three million over the course of this fiscal year, Mr. Grey."

He glanced up and scanned the sheets. "Shit. Fire Issac."

I raised my eyebrows. "Are you sure, sir?"

Christian stood. "Yes, Miss Steele. Please notify HR of my decision. If a high level employee of mine is able to enable someone to blackmail them, they do not deserve to keep their job. I have no idea why I'm explaining this to you. I don't have to explain my decisions to you."

I frowned. "What would you like us to do about Ms. Lincoln?"

"Nothing for now," he said. I shrugged and went to retrieve the spread sheets, pausing when I spotted a map of the West Coast with highlighted routes in and out of both Mexico and Canada.

Christian noticed what caught my attention. "Potential shipping routes."

"For what?" I asked. I knew if he was shipping a high volume of goods, he would use the shipping company under his control and would the sea. His eyes narrowed.

"I fail to see how this is any of your concern, Miss Steele," he said. "Please go and tell Gwen that she can pull the plug on Issac and leave Elena be for the moment."

I frowned at his slip, calling Elena by her first name. There was so much going on, and I was growing more and more intrigued. Wishing I had been able to take a picture of the map, I raced back to my desk and scrawled down the names of towns that intrigued me. Elko, Nevada really intrigued me. It seemed as though they were trying to bypass the Bay Area in California. And they were trying to avoid California as much as possible. I hid the sticky note in my purse for future research.

"What did Christian say?" Gwen asked when I joined her, Barney, and Issac in the conference room.

I sighed. "He wants you to contact HR, Gwen."

She looked down and nodded. Issac looked shocked, but quickly recovered and nodded. "I expected as much."

"Let's go and talk to Mr. Grey. If he doesn't terminate your contract, you could be hired back in the future. God knows it took him long enough to find a good CFO," Gwen said, leaving the room with Issac in tow.

Barney turned to me. "What else did he say?"

"To leave Ms. Lincoln alone," I said.

Barney frowned. "I wonder what his play is here."

"I think it's leverage," I said in response. "They have an interested pattern of interactions and a very interesting business relationship. He wants to have her back under his thumb, so to speak."

Barney nodded. "I completely agree. Now, we can focus on another pressing issue."

I nodded and pulled out my laptop. "What's going on?"

Barney gazed at me evenly, and I willed my heart to stop racing. He was making me incredibly nervous. "We believe that someone is surveilling this company from the inside."

I raised my eyebrows, hoping my expression of surprise was enough. He watched my reaction closely before continuing. "We hired you to work closely with the upper echelons of this company for a reason, Anastasia. I'm sure you can figure out why."

I swallowed thickly and nodded. He nodded slightly. He knew. I didn't know what he knew, but he knew I was in this job to get information. And I was throughly terrified.

I burst out of Grey House, panting and nervous. I wanted to run, to hide, but I would be in danger if I did that. Barney seemed to be the only one who knew and he was giving me a chance to organize myself. Or he was hoping to lull me into a sense of complacency before killing me. My phone chimed and I was panicking more than ever. It was Olivia asking if we were still on for lunch.

Carrying on with my daily routine would be the safest way to go. If Barney was the only one who suspected anything, then I had to pretend everything was normal. If Luke was right, if the Grey family were truly as ruthless as he made them out to be, then I had to tread carefully. No more curious questions, lingering glances. I had to take in everything without anyone knowing.

I took a deep breathe, blasting on a smile as I sat down across from Olivia. She was in good sprits, considering her exam was approaching in the next couple of weeks. I admired her attitude.

"So apparently, your suggestion for suing Seattle is becoming a fully-fledged case. Carrick is going to head up the civil suit," Olivia said, sipping her coffee.

"Wow, I had no idea," I said, surprised. She smiled.

"Everyone thinks you're a rockstar. You basically saved Carrick's ass and his law firm," she said.

I shrugged. "I'm glad everything is working out."

Olivia chuckled. "Well, not everything. Carrick's daughter, Mia, is his new assistant. Unfortunately, she's not organized enough to keep up with the pace of the firm. And her boyfriend is always around, picking her up for lunch. Carrick is really pissed off about that, saying it's a security breach. I don't really know, but there's something really weird going on."

"Mia? Really?" I asked. "What's her boyfriend's name?"

"Logan maybe? It definitely starts with an L," she said, brow furrowing. "He's very shifty and always trying to look at computer screens."

"I could talk to Barney about it," I offered. "Carrick might be too close to this because his daughter is involved."

"You should. From what I've heard, both Barney and Carrick love you, so they won't mind. Plus you're still technically an employee under Carrick, so there's no violation of an NDA," Olivia said. "Shit! I've got to go! Lunch again on Friday?"

"Sure, of course," I said, standing up to leave the cafe after her. I pulled out my phone and called Barney.

"Barney Sullivan," he answered.

"Barney, it's Anastasia. I had a very interesting lunch with Olivia Edwards," I explained. "Can you meet me outside of the office?"

"Of course, send me your location," he said hanging up. I strolled over to the park and sat down on a bench. He approached, his eyes sweeping the area. I saw a slight crease in his suit jacket and knew he was carrying a gun.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, sitting down next to me.

"Mia Grey," I said. "What do you know about her boyfriend?"

Barney sighed. "Now I can see why they picked you. You don't miss anything do you?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

"Luke Sawyer is Mia Grey's boyfriend," he said. "And I know you are familiar with Mr. Sawyer."

I froze. "I am familiar with that name."

"Miss Steele, in your honest opinion, what do you think of Mr. Sawyer?"

I looked at Barney who seemed to be interested in my answer. I decided to tell the truth. "Something isn't right about his investigation. There's too much missing, too much circumstantial evidence and claims with nothing concrete to back them up."

Barney appraised me. "I realize you are working for him. And Mr. Grey is very suspicious of you. Carrick is blinded by your brilliance and intelligence, but Mr. Grey is very close to finding out what you are doing. He noticed that you seemed to know who Grace was without any introduction. However, since you seem smart enough to discern that Luke Sawyer is up to something, I will do my best to help you remain where you are. Now, your own safety is in jeopardy. "

I didn't know how to respond to that. "Barney, what exactly are you proposing?"

"Continue your investigation. I think you've already formulated your own opinions about the Grey family," he said. "However, I would like to understand your motives for working for the FBI."

"My father," I said simply. "Carrick knows more about my father's death and he might lead me to the people responsible."

"Retribution is a powerful motive," he said, standing. "Everything is normal. Continue to do both of your jobs and if you need any help, I will try my best."

"Thank you," I said standing.

"Oh and Anastasia?" Barney called. "I hope you chose the right side at the end of all of this. There are only two people who can protect you in the future."

I paused, unsure what he meant by that. Barney would bend over backwards to protect me because he believed I would join his side. I hated his arrogance, the fact he just assumed I would join him. But now I really wanted to figure out who else would protect me. I collected myself and headed back to Grey House.

Gwen and Ros all but ambushed me as soon as I reached the top floor. "What's going on?"

"Nothing too unusual, but Mia Grey was spotted talking to the press. She spread the news about the shooting at the bar, claiming that someone had a vendetta against her older brother," Ros said. "We need to meet with the head of PR immediately."

They escorted me to another floor, full of screens and people running around madly. It made me happy I wasn't planning on being a journalist. Kate would have loved this.

"Do we have the exact quote she used?" a lady wearing a chic blue dress asked. She was standing at the head of the large table in the conference room, papers and computers scattered around the other employees. She noticed us and straightened. "Gwen, Ros, I didn't know you'd been sent to help us handle this."

There was a certain level of animosity in her voice and I quickly realized she was being pushed out of doing her job. Christian didn't trust many people, even those he employed.

"Claire, I'm sorry you weren't notified. We just got the call from Mr. Grey himself," Gwen said taking a seat. I sat down next to her. "We need your help with this one."

"Oh, so all of a sudden, you need my help," she said, her eyes narrowed. "Who's the intern?"

"My name is Anastasia Steele," I introduced myself. "We have no intention on stepping on any toes. In fact, neither Gwen or myself is particularly talented in getting the press to listen, not like your department. Mr. Grey would rather have all hands on deck for this so to speak."

Ros winked at me and left the conference room. Claire straightened, seemingly pleased with the reassurance and the small compliment. She was arrogant and that worked perfectly. "My name is Claire Logan and I'm the vice president of public relations."

"Ok, so what are you working on so far?" Gwen asked.

"Miss Grey leaked the cause of the shooting to the press and already stocks are tumbling. We are trying to come up with a statement that doesn't refute what she's saying and only accepts it," a sharply dressed man in the caner said.

"Do they have any information about the shooters or the victims?" Gwen asked. "How much room do we have to lie?"

"None what so ever," Claire said. "All of the shooters were killed before the police arrived. We can't exactly paint our CEO as some sort of assassin."

"I need to make a call," I said to Gwen, who nodded. I stepped out of the conference room and called Carrick's cell phone.

"Anastasia, what can I do for you?" he asked.

"A little birdy told me that you are heading up a civil case against the City of Seattle," I said. "I'm sure you are aware of what your daughter said to the press today and I was wondering if I could leak that information."

"By all means. We were going to announce it formally at the end of the week, but do what you must to get this under control," he said hanging up.

I slipped back into the conference room. "How about painting this event as a chance for learning?"

Everyone looked at me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Carrick Grey is heading up a civil suit against the City of Seattle, claiming there should be ordinances in place to protect people in event of a shooting, similar to that of a fire. What if we leak this information, and say that GEH is working around the clock to prevent this type of violence?" I explained.

Gwen nodded. "And we should mention that this was an isolated incident. It was a disgruntled employee who led the charge and it was the bar's security guards who were able to protect nearly every bystander there, minimizing collateral damage."

Claire nodded and furiously began organizing papers. "That's perfect. I think we've got it from here."

Gwen and I stood up to leave. "It's never boring around here."

I chucked and sat down at my tiny desk. "What's next?"

"We monitor the situation with Mrs. Lincoln and watch the interviews to find a new CFO," Gwen said. She stood and waved me over to the couches. "Why didn't you want us to find out about Bob Adams?"

I swallowed thickly. "I don't like to revisit that year."

Gwen nodded solemnly. "I understand completely, but Christian was thrown for a loop when he found out. We need to know if it will effect your ability to do your job."

I shook my head. "It won't. I think I've proven that I can separate the physical abuse from the past from my currently physical and emotional state."

She nodded. "It's just that there's another employee who still hasn't been able to compartmentalize as effectively and sometimes it shows."

I nodded, wondering why my past was suddenly the most important thing we were focusing on. It made me uncomfortable.

"What else is on the agenda for the day?" I asked.

"Nothing, actually. Tomorrow we'll start the hiring process and then you'll be able to float around all of the departments for the rest of the week, learning more about the culture here," Gwen explained. "You can actually head home now if you would like."

I thanked her and headed straight back to my apartment. I nearly ran Kate over as I pulled into my assigned parking spot next to her red Mercedes. "What the hell, Steele? Why were you driving so fast?"

"I was, uh, drag racing," I said, trying to play off the incident with humor.

"Drag racing in a Prius? What are you doing home early?" she asked. "I'm headed to the mall if you want to come with."

"Let me drop off some stuff upstairs and change out of these heels," I said, taking her up on her offer. "There was nothing else to do today."

She shrugged. "Nice hours, then. I also saw what Mia Grey said to press today."

"I'll fill you in in just a second," I said, heading into the building to drop off my work back and change into some chic flats. Retail therapy was exactly what I needed.

We arrived at the mall in good time, considering it was the beginning of rush hour. Kate was eager to find a birthday gift for her mother, temporarily forgetting what one lose lipped Mia Grey had said.

"Do you think she'd like a new perfume or bag batter?" Kate asked as we floated around Saks stopping every so often to look at something that caught her eye.

"I don't really know Kate. Eleanor loves everything, so I don't think she'll mind," I said, glancing around the store. I felt like I was being watched and it unnerved me. I discreetly slid my hand into my cross body and felt my familiar can of pepper spray.

"I know she likes everything, but I want it to be the right thing that she ends up showing off at one of her luncheons," Kate said sighing, but picking up a gorgeous Bottega Veneta. I nodded in approval and she grinned.

As she was purchasing the bag, I spotted a very familiar Elliot Grey strolling around with Grace. I waved as they spotted me.

"Anastasia," Grace said hugging me. "Such a pleasant surprise! Have the stitches started dissolving yet?"

"Yes they have, Grace," I said. "Hi Elliot."

"Ana! How are you?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.

"I'm doing very well. Your brother is keeping me busy," I said. Elliot coughed and chuckled, causing Grace to roll her eyes.

"We'll being seeing you for brunch on Sunday still, correct?" Grace asked.

"Of course," I said with a smile.

"It was good seeing you, Anastasia," Grace said.

"Laters," Elliot said with a wink as they walked away.

Glancing around I noticed that people were watching our interaction and one lady had even pulled out her phone. I knew that the Grey family were celebrities, but never to this magnitude.

"Grace seemed happy to see you," Kate commented as she approached, a Saks bag on her arm.

"Yeah, I guess. She invited me over for brunch on Sunday," I said.

"Interesting," Kate said, a smirk on her face. "Somehow I don't believe it was her invitation."

I rolled my eyes at Kate, who laughed as we headed back to her car. She continued. "It's all very interesting though, you have to admit! Suddenly the Grey family is interested in you."

"I think it's because I saved one of their lives," I said dryly.

"Yeah, but I think something else is going on. I mean, everyone knows they're dangerous, just no one can actually prove it. They always get away with it, overtime their name is dragged through the mud," Kate said. "My father is working on an exposé."

I bit my lip. It was obvious that the Grey family was dangerous- anyone could see that just by their level of wealth and influence alone. Anyone who had that much power was dangerous. I was starting to get curious, too curious about the illegal side of the Greys' business. And for my own sanity, I needed to find answers soon.

 _ **I would like to thank everyone for their kind words of support. You guys are the best audience and I really appreciate everything (including the support for my other story). Within the next three chapters a CPOV should be up! Again, thank you and please let me know if you have questions and comments- I try my hardest to respond to every review!**_

 _ **Check my profile for my Pinterest URL or search /mosaic23/**_


	7. Chapter 7

It was 6:48, right after dinner, when I got the phone call.

"Hello?" I asked, not recognizing the number.

"Get out of your apartment right now!" the voice said. It had been doctored, the voice was distorted and scrambled. The line went dead.

"Kate!" I screamed, causing her to burst out of her room in a blind panic.

"What's going on?" she asked, sensing my panic.

"Grab your bag, we need to get out of here now!"

Her eyes grew wide as she spotted my gun in my hand and my phone in the other. She was out the door before I could even take another step. Racing down the two flights of stairs- thankfully our apartment was a two story walk-up and a small building. We burst out onto the sidewalk just as the windows shattered and a large explosion nearly knocked us off our feet. My ears were ringing and I couldn't hear anything. The dust and smoke was thick around us, and I was screaming for Kate, stumbling around, trying to get to her. She was further out onto the street than I was.

I was crying and shaking, collapsed on the hard sidewalk. My ears were still ringing as two strong arms swept my legs out from under me.

"It's okay, you're safe now," I could barely make out a voice through the throbbing in my skull. As my ears and eyes tried to adjust to my surroundings, I realized I was screaming and crying hysterically. The strong hands stroked my back, whispering words, trying to calm me down. I didn't want to look at the damage- how destroyed our homes was. I didn't want to see how distraught Kate would be. I buried my head in the unfamiliar chest and breathed in the comforting smell that was beginning to replace the smell of smoke and dust. "We have to get out of here, Anastasia."

I couldn't speak as I was carried away from the wreckage of the small building. People were yelling and I heard sirens in the distance, breaking through the harsh ringing in my ears. I was terrified.

I didn't stop my hysterical sobbing until the car stopped and I was carried out of the car. I didn't recognize the underground garage, or the number of black Audis that were parked. "Where am I?"

My voice sounded distant, distorted almost to my ears. "You're safe."

I turned my head to see who was carrying me, and I would have collapsed if I wasn't secure in Christian Grey's arms. I kept looking around, taking in my surroundings as he carried me into a private elevator and punched in a code. I spotted Taylor standing behind Christian, and he looked worse for wear, barely holding onto his stoic facade. He handed me a grey handkerchief and I wiped my eyes and blew my nose, noticing the initials that were embroidered on the soft linen. CTG.

"Mr. Grey!" a feminine voice called out. I spotted a woman with greying hair and kind brown eyes coming out of the kitchen. Her eyes crinkled with concern when she saw me in Christian's arms. "What happened?"

"Mrs. Jones, there was an explosion," Christian said. He set me down on one of the couches facing the fire place. "This is the safest place for Anastasia at the moment. Can you call my mother and ask her to come over here?"

"Of course Mr. Grey," Mrs. Jones said, hurrying out of the room. Christian sat on the coffee table facing me.

"Anastasia, can you hear me?"

I nodded, still not trusting my voice.

"I'm going to call a very good friend of mine to come and talk to you. Katherine is safe. My brother was right behind me to make sure she gets home to her parents," he explained. "I need to go and make some calls, but please feel free to sleep, get water, use the restroom- whatever you need."

He stood, taking off his suit jacket and tie, unbuttoning and rolling up his sleeves. His jaw was clenched tightly as he talked with Taylor in the background. Mrs. Jones placed a glass of water in front of me on the coffee table, gently stroking my head in a motherly gesture. "Miss Steele, please drink this. It will make you feel better."

I dragged myself into a sitting position, and greedily drank the cool water. I didn't know what to say or what to do. My ears were still ringing slightly and the buzzing in my brain was still at the forefront of my attention. I began tensing and relaxing my muscles and inspecting myself for injuries. There was nothing major, but I knew I would have a few bruises.

"Oh Ana, darling!" Grace exclaimed as she rushed to my side. Her arms wrapped around me gently, and it was such a kind, pure gesture, it took everything in me not to cry. "I need to examine you Ana."

I nodded and she helped me stand shakily. She guided me through the expansive living room of what I could only guess was Christian's penthouse and into a bedroom. I let her run her tests, flashing a light in my eyes, taking my blood pressure, checking my stab wound, and giving me ibuprofen for the headache. "Why don't you take a shower before Dr. Flynn arrives."

"Dr. Flynn?" I asked, my voice still hoarse.

"He's a close family friend and will help you come to terms with what's just happened," she explained gently. "Christian speaks to him very often and I think he will help."

I nodded, accepting my fate. Once again, the Grey family was being exceptionally helpful and kind, and I didn't want to jeopardize that. Grace pointed me to the bathroom and I wearily peeled off my torn, dusty clothes and under the hot spray of the shower. I washed my hair with the shampoo that smelled like Christian and groaned when I couldn't find any conditioner. My hair was tangled and I really wanted to comb through it. Sighing, I climbed out the shower and wrapped myself in a towel. I headed back into the main room to pick up my clothes.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Christian exclaimed, swallowing thickly, a slight pink tinge coloring his cheeks. Neither of us moved for a moment and he shifted uncomfortably, his hands dropping in front of his crotch. Was he getting hard?

"I thought my mother showed you to the guest room."

"I'm sorry," I said automatically, realizing I was intruding in his personal space.

"No, uh, my mistake," he said, leaving the room just as quickly as he entered. He turned back around in the doorway, his eyes dark. "There are fresh clothes in the bag."

Before I could respond, he was gone and the bedroom door was shut once again. I picked up the silver Neiman Marcus bag and bit my lip, trying to convince myself to accept the ridiculously expensive clothes. I fought back tears as I realized nearly every material object I owned was destroyed. I changed back in the white bathroom, taking in my surroundings for the first time. The bathroom was the size of my room back at home- completely white and clinical. It was luxurious, but lacking in any personality. I didn't see anything personal anywhere, not even a toothbrush to prove this bathroom was lived in.

I pulled my hair into a messy bun and headed into the great room. The walls of the apartment were a rich grey, an eclectic mix of art and photographs adorning the walls. But there was nothing personal anywhere. I frowned slightly, realizing that this might not be Christian's main residence.

"Miss Steele?" I heard a new voice call my name. A tall man, wearing trendy, frameless glasses stood. "I'm Dr. John Flynn."

I didn't say anything, but appraised the man in front of me. He was English, but his accent wasn't as strong as it used to be. He'd definitely been in the United States for some time. I briefly wondered if he was allowed to practice on foreign soil as a doctor, or if that was only pertinent to medical doctors. I knew he was a psychologist and I didn't want to talk to him.

"How is your head? I understand you experienced quite a severe explosion," he said, gesturing for me to sit. His eyes appraised me and alarm bells started ringing in my head. I didn't trust him.

"I'm fine," I said softly, meeting his gaze.

"I understand you shared the apartment with your roommate, Katherine Kavanaugh," he said, flipping through a manilla folder which I assumed was his file. I snatched it out of his hands.

"I don't mean to be rude, but you do not have my consent to go through my file," I said.

He chuckled. "Miss Steele, your employer hired me, which means that technically, I have the right to."

"Well, I regret to inform you that I resigned from the company two minutes ago," I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

He stood up and sighed. "How long do you think you can keep hiding from Christian?"

I paled. "I wouldn't be in plain sight if I was hiding."

He grinned. "Funnily enough, hiding in plain sight is the safest option, just look at Christian. I'll speak to you soon Anastasia."

I didn't say anything as he strolled out of the apartment. Throwing my folder down coffee table in frustration, I picked up my phone. My gun wasn't on the coffee table where I left it, and that made me nervous.

"Kate! Oh my goodness are you alright?" I asked, breathing a sigh of relief as I heard my best friend's, albeit shaky, voice.

"I'm not okay, Ana. Where are you?" she asked, sounding distraught.

"I'm with my boss," I said, biting my lip.

"What the fuck? Ana, my parents are taking me to Barbados tomorrow. They think that something in your life is putting me in danger, and I have to agree with them," she said. I always appreciated her bluntness, but this time it was a little too much.

"Kate," I whispered, my eyes filling with tears. "The shooting was a freak accident."

"It doesn't seem like it. You know the rumors about the Grey family. Sure they're famous and powerful, but you can't ignore that everyone around them ends up hurt of dead. I mean, you started working for them," she said, sniffing. "I know it wasn't your fault and that you saved my life, but we shouldn't have been in a position for that to be necessary. I think some time apart will be good for both of us."

She hung up before I could say anything else. She was right and it cut me to the bone. Ever since I started working for the FBI, everyone who I thought was a friend was slowly being isolated from me. I called Barney.

"Anastasia, thank goodness you're okay," he said, sighing. "Christian is already looking into what happened."

"I, um, got a phone call as a warning. Can you let Welch know?" I asked.

"Of course. Is there anything else I can do for you?" he asked kindly.

"Why are you trusting me? Why are you helping me?" I asked biting my lip.

He sighed heavily. "I know your father was operating under the cover name of Stephen Morton. And I know that the FBI had some suspicions when it came to his loyalty to them. He was very much on our side, Anastasia. Now, the FBI was never able to fully prove that he had been flipped, but he was. I think that's why Luke is so suspicious of you. As for helping you, I don't like more blood on my hands than necessary. And I think that you are very much like your father."

"Should I tell anyone else?" I whispered.

"No. Not yet. Grace and Carrick, no matter how much they trust you now would kill you without any hesitation. However, when the time comes, Christian and I will be able to protect you. Christian was the one who flipped your father. He hasn't put the pieces together that Stephen Morton is your father and I think it's prudent to keep it that way," Barney explained. "When you recover from all of this, we'll talk about this more."

"One last thing," I said. "Dr. John Flynn."

"Shit, he tried talking to you, didn't he?" Barney said.

"Yeah, he asked me how long I could keep 'hiding'," I explained. "I don't like him."

"Listen, never speak to him alone again. He's hired by Grace and she had him speak to you because she's suspicious. Give her no reason to be suspicious of you, Anastasia. I mean it. Think of something else you could be hiding if she confronts you. Christian talks to Flynn regularly because Grace feels the need to keep tabs on her son. She's worried she won't be able to control him for much longer, and she's right. Be careful, Anastasia. You'll be safe with Christian," Barney said. "I'll call you in a few days and we can sit down and hash this all out. And, if for whatever reason, Christian asks about your true job, do not lie to him."

Barney hung up, leaving me holding the phone to my ear in shock. It vibrated with a text from Barney.

 _Welch pulled the information. Destroy this phone and make sure the SIM card is beyond repair._

I threw my phone against the wall and started to cry.

I was shaken awake lightly, by a concerned looking Mrs. Jones who was holding a steaming bowl. "You fell asleep. I have some chicken noodle soup, if you would like."

"Yes, please," I said sitting up slowly. "Thank you."

"Mr. Grey is eating in the dining room, if you would like to join him," she said, heading through the kitchen to the slightly more secluded dining area of the great room. I followed her.

Christian glanced up from his tablet, his grey eyes sweeping over my face. His expression softened. "Anastasia, how are you feeling?"

I shrugged and sat down, digging into the delicious soup. "I'm okay. Physically, I mean."

"I can't even begin to understand what you must be feeling, but if you need anything, just ask," he said gently.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked. "And save the bullshit about me being an employee or something."

He cocked his head slightly as he appraised me. "Truthfully, you intrigue me. I also don't want to feel the same way I did when you were hurt."

I didn't know how to respond so I just nodded and began spooning the soup into my mouth at a faster rate.

"I do have a question though," he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a light blue post-it pad. He slid it across the table to me. There was a layer of pencil over the first post-it and in relief I could make out the words Elko and shipping route. I looked back up at him. He didn't look angry and his eyes looked curious. "Why did I find this in your office?"

"I was going to do some research," I said. "Your route seemed to bypass California as much as possible."

"You're very observant. What else do you know?" he questioned, guarding his expression. He seemed more eager to discover what I had actually figured out from seeing the route.

"I'm assuming that you're avoiding the law for some reason. That leads me to believe it's contraband. Drug penalties are much stricter in Nevada, and I don't think you would risk that," I said, watching his eyes narrow.

"What do you think I'm transporting?" he asked, his tone clipped.

"You would have told me if it was legitimate business. Look, I've heard the rumors about your family and I'm not dumb. I think your moving guns. I just can't figure out what direction," I said. My heart was beating rapidly, and my mouth was getting dry as Christian watched me.

"Are you going to call the authorities?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I don't trust the police."

"Why not?" he asked, his eyes flashing.

"I just don't," I said, failing to come up with a good excuse.

"I'm moving the guns to Mexico," Christian said.

"Excuse me?" I said, surprised.

He sighed and placed the tablet between us. "I'm stealing the guns from Elliot's warehouse and moving them to Mexico. I want to make it look like the cartel stole them."

"When are you doing this?" I asked, trying to process the information as fast as possible. I had a hunch, but I didn't expect to be right.

"Tonight, if all goes according to plan. Anastasia, despite the warnings from my mother, I think I can trust you. If you prove to be as valuable as I think you are, you'll live. But you'll be working for me," he said, sipping wine from his glass. "Don't make me kill you."

"Why do you trust me?" I asked.

"Barney and Gwen trust you. and considering you're dealing with very sensitive issues at work, you need to understand all sides of business. Gwen assured me you were ready to learn about the rest. She was correct?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm just surprised you're telling me so soon," I explained.

"The person or people who bombed your apartment are targeting you to get to me. And they aren't from the legitimate side of things. You have the right to know," he explained. "And if I didn't tell you, your curiosity might have put you in more danger."

I nodded, still too stunned to say anything.

"Let me give you a tour of the place," he said, standing. I stood up and walked next to him, surprised when he took my hand and began leading me around the great room, pointing out piece of art that were sentimental to him. He showed me a library with a connecting room that housed a grand piano and the door to his office.

I asked a few polite questions to keep the conversation going, but I didn't want to pry. He seemed very private, for good measure, but I didn't want to overstep.

"And, you've already seen my bedroom," he whispered in my ear, his hot breath floating down my neck. I shivered, biting my lip as he pulled open the door. He was standing so close to me, I could feel his body heat. He was facing me suddenly, his eyes dark and intense.

"Don't bite your lip," he said, pulling it from my teeth with his perfect manicured hand. My cheeks were flushed as he continued to gaze at me hungrily.

He pressed closer and I could feel every hard muscle in his body pressed against my soft frame, including the hard evidence of his arousal. His lips grazed my ear again, bathing me in his scent. "Not until you ask me, Anastasia."

With that enigmatic statement he was gone, leaving me flushed and battling with my own heart beat to try and calm myself down.

 _ **Phew! A lot of information in this chapter...**_

 _ **Thank you everyone for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews! I'm so glad you are all enjoying the story as much as I am enjoying writing it!**_

 _ **Check my profile for a link to the Pinterest board if you're interested or search /mosaic23/**_

 _ **CPOV will be the next chapter!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Christian Grey**_

When the brunette beauty behind the bar politely asked me to wait a few seconds before serving me, I didn't know if I wanted to shoot her or fuck her more.

Within two weeks, I knew I wanted her. Hell, I had Barney pull some major strings so she would be working directly with me, instead of having a desk job with my father. Anastasia Steele could not have chosen a worse time to enter my life.

As for teaching her a lesson, that could wait. She saved my life and thought nothing of it, only wanting to know why someone would try to kill me. My brother wasted valuable minutes trying to interrogate the fucker instead of putting him down as soon as he saw the knife was drawn. I blamed Elliot for the whole incident- not that it was anything new. Convincing Carrick that Elliot was unreliable was another matter all together.

Elliot didn't have my back; he never would. I was a threat to his inheritance, a threat to his future, and if I were to die, I doubt he'd shed too many tears. He'd just miss having someone to boast to about his latest piece of ass. Idiot. What he failed to understand was that women were important in our world, but they had specific roles to play. And Elliot's interpretation of one of those roles was dead wrong. No wonder the Italian families couldn't take him seriously. If you wanted to fuck around you kept it secret. That's why the media was always speculating that I was gay or celibate. I didn't need anyone to know who was getting my dick wet. That was my business and mine alone.

I groaned as Taylor passed me an open can of Red Bull. I hadn't even thought about contracting a new submissive since I met Anastasia Steele. And that was fucking unusual, even Taylor knew I was particularly frustrated these days.

"Boss, Clayton and I are ready. We'll be in the car with Paul," Taylor said, dressed in black and holding a black balaclava in his hands. He had a gun holstered under each arm and was holding an AR-15.

I nodded, unbuttoning my linen shirt and changing into black jeans and black hoodie. I grabbed the same weapons as Taylor, but strapped a knife to my thigh for good measure. I tipped the rest of the Red Bull back and grabbed a burner phone from my desk drawer. I triple checked I had enough extra ammo and that all of the guns were loaded, I pulled on the balaclava, and a black baseball cap over the top for good measure. I locked my office door, hoping that I wouldn't run into Anastasia on the way out.

"Drive," I commanded Clayton as soon as I hopped in the black pick-up truck. It was tense in the cab and I was anxious to get it over and done with. I had studied Elliot's guards and their pattern of patrolling the warehouse. There were three of them, all on a corner and every fifteen minutes they rotated. It wasn't a true warehouse they were guarding due to it's size, but it fulfilled that purpose. Taylor parked the car a block behind the building, handing Paul the keys.

"Wait for the call. No sooner, no later," I instructed, clapping him on the shoulder. I had to choose the most trustworthy men for this. Taylor was also my CPO and had been with our family long enough to know up from down, but I was taking a risk with Clayton and Paul. They hated Elliot because he had slept with their sisters, girlfriends, or something stupid like that and they were eager to work with me and benefit from my success. But they had to prove their loyalty first.

I pulled out my hand gun and ducked behind a dumpster. Screwing on the silencer, I knew I had just one chance to knock out the security camera on this corner. I counted to three on my fingers, and Taylor and I both disabled hit our marks. Two of the guards came running.

"Drop your weapons! The police are on the way!" one of them called out. Clayton shot him in the shin from the gap under the dumpster, allowing Taylor to take out the one covering him. I put a bullet in the other's head.

"You two go in. I'll hunt the other one," I said, covering Taylor and Clayton as they cut the chain on the door and slipped inside. There wasn't anything of value stored in the building except for our family's personal stash of guns. Only Carrick, Grace, Elliot, and myself knew about it. And since it was Elliot's jurisdiction, it would be his fuck up if the guns went missing under his watch. I skirted the building twice, before determining that the last guard must be inside. The five crates of guns were stacked right by the door. I spotted Paul backing the truck in as I silently headed deeper into the warehouse.

If I wanted to surprise an intruder, I'd come from behind. I knew I'd have to go so much deeper than necessary. I heard the slight shift of a gun. Before the other guard could react, I sliced his throat with my knife. Because he was facing Taylor and Clayton, if I shot him, the bullets would have passed through and could have hit them.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," I said, helping Paul with one of the crates. We pulled out into the streets, and I directed Paul to GEH, where I could stash them in a top secret vault.

I dialed a familiar number. It rang twice before Jose Rodriguez Sr. answered. "Yes."

"Do your thing. It's done. Torch the place. Pick up is tomorrow night," I said before hanging up and snapping the phone, breaking the SIM card and putting it in a bag with the other destroyed burner phones.

"Pull in here," I directed Paul. "Welch has wiped the tapes, right?"

"Yes, boss," Taylor responded, hopping out of the car. "Boys, go home."

Paul and Clayton left the private garage as fast as possible.

"Clayton didn't take the shot," I said as Taylor and I walked the first crate to a steel door that looked like a utility door. I unlocked it, and spun the handle, pulling open the second door.

"It was his first time out," Taylor said, as we continued to ferry the crates into the vault.

"But that wouldn't have been his first kill," I said, knowing that in order to join our organization he would have had to have killed before.

"Let's deal with it tomorrow, boss," Taylor said, climbing into the SUV we parked here sooner. It was a short, quiet drive back to Escala.

"Well, get some sleep before Elliot wakes us up as soon as the guards are due to change," I said pulling off the baseball cap and sweaty mask.

Taylor nodded and headed down the hallway to the quarters he shared with Gail. I envied the fact he had someone to come home to every night. Strolling to my office, I replaced the gun in the reinforced room behind the bookshelf.

I grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen before heading to my bedroom to go and shower. And wash the blood that covered my hands down the drain.

"Christian?" a sleepy voice coming from my bed stopped me in my tracks. Considering my mind had been occupied with Anastasia for the past week, I was still rooted to the spot, shocked to see her in my bed. In the moonlight streaming though the window, she looked so peaceful. Her skin was luminous and I found myself responding to her mere presence.

"Go back to sleep," I whispered, heading to the bathroom.

"Why are you dressed like that?" she asked, turning on the light. I noticed she was sleeping in the lacy blue bra I had provided for her.

"The robbery, remember?" I asked, swallowing thickly as she made no move to cover herself. Her hair was in a messy braid over her shoulder and I felt my jeans get tighter. _Down boy._

"Oh my god, are you hurt?" she exclaimed, catching sight of my hands and jumping out of bed and rushing over to me. I took a deep breathe, trying not to let my gaze linger on her exposed body, or the nearly see-through panties she was wearing on the bottom. Fuck me.

"I need to shower," I said, trying to extract myself from her narrowed gaze. She followed me into the bathroom.

"I'm not leaving until I'm certain that's not your blood," she said, sitting down on the closed toilet. I shrugged and pulled off my hoodie and tee shirt in one fluid move. I felt her eyes on my body as I began to unbutton my jeans. She stood up. I watched as she stalked towards me, her eyes never leaving my own. Her arms wrapped lightly around my bare waist and she pressed her head to my chest. I was frozen, reveling in the feeling of her warm, soft body against mine. "I'm so glad you're okay."

As she attempted to flee the bathroom, I caught her wrist. "Anastasia, thank you for caring."

She gave me a small smile. "I'm glad it's not your blood."

I took a deep breathe and pulled her back to me. "Me too."

We were stood face to face, neither of us wanting to make the first move. Her breathing hitched as I broke the spell and started to take a small step forwards.

"Oh, fuck this," she whispered, crashing her lips to mine. Taken by surprise, my arms shot out to grasp her biceps, ready to push her back. Quickly overtaken by the feeling of her lips on mine, I relaxed, allowing her arms to shoot up and her hands to tangle in my hair, causing me to groan. She slipped her tongue in my mouth, stroking and dancing, teasing my. My hands traveled down the curve of her bare back to rest firmly on her incredible ass. I squeezed, causing her to moan.

She pulled back suddenly, a coy grin on her face. "That's enough, Mr. Grey."

I swallowed heavily, feeling my dick harden even more. How the hell did she have that power over me? I watched her dart back out into the bedroom and I exhaled sharply, yanking down my jeans and diving under the spray of cold water. It did absolutely nothing. Groaning I switched the temperature to warm and let my hand travel down to grasp my pulsing erection.

Giving a firm stroke, I groaned as object of my desires slipped back into the bathroom. Topless. She bit her lip as she watched, smirking as I moaned and began to run my hand up and down, over the head eliciting a sting of swear words. Embarrassingly soon, I released my load all over the glass of the shower. Anastasia grinned salaciously and danced back into the bedroom. I pressed my forehead against the glass, trying to catch my breathe and figure out what the fuck possessed me to jack off in front of the woman who had the power to bring my whole world crashing down around me.

I snuck back into my closet wearing nothing but a towel. "I'm not asleep."

I groaned internally. "I'm sorry for keeping you up."

"It's your home, do what you need to do. But honestly, I'm no stranger to violence, but I'm not sure I can sleep after this," she said, sounding worried. I clenched my jaw, unhappy that she was avoiding discussing what had just transpired in the bathroom. Maybe she needed time. I pulled on a white cotton shirt and clean boxers. Figuring she might want something else to sleep in, I grabbed my Harvard shirt for her.

"Here," I said, throwing it at her. She nodded in thanks and pulled it on. "Today, I've apologized to you more than I have in the past three months."

She smiled. "Maybe you're seeing the errors in your default behavior."

I couldn't help but smirk back. I bit back a groan as she sat in my bed, in my shirt. Never before had I felt such a strong level of attraction towards a woman, even when she was suspended by ropes in my playroom. Miss Steele was something else entirely. I was fighting a battle I would be losing very fast. "Are you sure you won't be able to sleep?"

She nodded and I pulled her out of bed, throwing her over my shoulder. She squealed as I carried her out of the bedroom. "What has gotten into you?"

"I'm in a good mood," I said, sitting her down on one of the kitchen bar stools. She blushed. "Do you want anything?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "You know, I'm pretty sure you're violating and crossing so many employee employer boundaries right now. This could be considered sexual harassment."

"Is it truly unwanted attention, Miss Steele?" I asked setting my hands on the counter and facing her. Her cheeks colored even more and she bit her lips. _Fuck it all to hell._

I leaned over the counter and pulled her lip from her teeth. "What did I tell you before?"

She laughed. "Well, now I know how to get your attention. We need to talk about all of this Christian. I have questions that need answers."

I sighed and handed her a glass of chocolate milk, taking a sip of my own. I needed her to trust me, to open up to me and confirm my suspicions. Her eyebrows raised, but she didn't say anything. "Elliot isn't the right choice to take over the family business. So, I stole the guns he was supposed to guard, and my Cartel contacts will make sure it looks like they did it. They're going to take them to Mexico for me, but not tomorrow ."

She nodded, her eyes getting darker. "Why now?"

"He pissed me off one times too many," I said. I wanted to tell her truth, and in that moment, I felt I could trust her. How she would take this information would change everything. "He didn't kill the fucker who stabbed you when he had the chance. He was trying to keep him alive for information. And you're much to valuable to me to be considered simple collateral damage."

She sucked in a breathe and took a nervous gulp of the milk she didn't even want. "Why aren't you transporting the guns?"

"I'm not sure it's the right move. I have everything in place and it can be done in a moment, but right now, having them close is more of an insurance policy," I said. "Look, you, Taylor, and myself are the only three people who know that the guns are not going to be transported out of Seattle any time soon."

"What about Gwen? Isn't this her area of expertise?" she asked, looking confused.

"Gwen is pregnant," I said matter of factly. "She won't come back to this job once she gives birth."

"That's why you brought me on," she finished. "Even thought I know nothing about this kind of stuff."

"That's why you're the perfect choice. Anyone from the organization would know too much, be trying to climb to the top. And right now, I really need someone by my side who isn't going to be seen as a prime target," I said, draining the glass.

"I think we both know I'm already a target," she said softly, her blue eyes flashing with sadness.

"I'm nearly certain we both know who is responsible for the explosion," I said, watching her face pale. "And we both know he's a problem."

She met my gaze, but I could see her posture change slightly and she tucked her hair behind her left ear, like she always did when she was nervous.

"Luke Sawyer is a very big problem," I said, watching her wring her hands. Now I had to get her to admit it. "But you already knew that. I'm going to ask you this once. Are you working for him?"

She froze and then nodded very slightly, letting her eyes drop to the floor. "Just feeding him information."

"You don't trust him," I stated. "That's why you were asking about Mia. Someone told you."

She didn't say anything for a moment. "I don't trust him."

"Who told you about him and my sister?" I asked, letting my voice become slightly more menacing.

"Barney," she whispered, looking scared.

"Good," I said, swiping her glass of milk and finishing it. "No more secrets, right?"

She nodded vehemently. "No more."

I yawned and stretched, letting her see my gesture as unthreatening. "Do you think you can sleep now?"

She shook her head, tucking her hair again. She was still nervous. "I don't think so."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Why don't you trust me?"

She visibly straightened. "Because you asked me not to make you kill me. And you haven't said anything else."

"What do I need to tell you?" I asked.

"That you won't hurt me," she whispered.

"I won't hurt you. My parents may be blind to new employees, but I knew you weren't just a civilian when you fell into all of this. Barney told me you were an FBI informant before I decided to hire you," I said. "My father was getting close to figuring it out, which is why I moved you from your assistant position."

She sighed, visibly relaxing. I decided to give her a little more information. "If we can control what you tell Sawyer, we might be able to get my sister away from him."

She nodded. "I can help with that."

"Relax, Anastasia. Now that everything is out in the open, you're much safer. You don't have to hide from me," I said softly, reciting the urge to wrap my arms around her. I balked at the thought. I don't remember the last time I had the urge to hug someone. Crushing my wayward thoughts, I had one last question for her. "How do you know Jose Rodriguez Jr.?"

 _ **I definitely struggled with this chapter- I hope it worked. I'm certainly more comfortable writing in APOV (as you can probably tell) but hopefully this helped to advance the plot and give you all some insight into the mind of this Christian Grey.**_

 _ **A million thank yous to everyone who added this story to their favorites or follow lists- and an even greater amount of thanks for everyone who left such kind reviews! Writing this story, for this audience, is amazing and I love to hear and watch you all react to every twist and turn!**_

 _ **And as per usual- Pinterest link is on my profile, or search /mosaic23/  
There's a large collection of images and songs that have helped to inspire me to write this story.**_

 _ **After everything that has happened in the US over the past few days (and years) I would like to wholeheartedly say that I do not condone or support any type of violence. Although it may not seem like it because of this story, I am vehemently anti-gun. My thoughts are with everyone who was shot this past week and their families. Black lives matter.**_


	9. Chapter 9

**_A huge shoutout to eschoenh, daytonalay, Christian618, SdaisyS, lanieloveu, and MissG909 for their continued support and amazing kindness! An extended thank you to the ladies of the best Facebook group in existence who showed their unwavering support and encouraged me to keep writing. This is for you guys!_**

I stifled a laugh as I heard the jealousy seep into his tone of voice. Considering his bravado, he seemed particularly concerned about someone I knew I shouldn't be friends with anyway. He had Taylor to thank for that. "We met freshman year in art class."

"Oh," he said. "What does his dad do?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, disappointed that playful, chatty Christian was slipping away. "I think he's in property development. He helps Native American reservations develop infrastructure."

Christian's eyes narrowed, before his expression changed entirely. "Interesting."

"This trust thing is a two-way street, Christian," I said evenly, folding my arms over my chest. I was very self-conscious around him, especially after what had just transpired in the bathroom. He wanted me, but I wasn't sure I was ready to do that again. Especially if he was keeping vital pieces of information from me- information that could mean the difference between life and death.

"Then trust me that it's not important," he said, keeping his expression neutral. I rolled my eyes and yawned.

"I'm going to try and get some sleep. Is there a guest room? I mean, Grace just put me to bed in your room, but it's clear that I'm okay for now," I said, trailing off as I watched him try to hide his disappointment.

"Up the stairs, the first door on the left," he said, nodding towards the floating stairs that led out of the great room. I hopped off of the barstool and headed to the room, not looking back.

I was woken up from a very deep sleep by a continuous knocking on the door.

"Anastasia, we need you up," Christian called out through the door. "I have some fresh clothes for you."

I rolled my eyes, trying to wrap my head around the fact that Christian was buying clothes of me and somehow knew my sizes perfectly. I pulled open the door and Christian handed me another silver bag. "Elliot called. We'll be meeting Gwen and the rest of my family there."

"Okay, I'll be ready soon," I said, shutting the door again to get changed. I rolled my eyes as I saw the clothes he selected. A black pair of jeans, a black long sleeved tee shirt, a black leather jacket, and a pair of black Converse. The leather jacket was gorgeous, and cost an arm and a leg, but I was hesitant to wear it considering I didn't want to ruin it. Sighing, I pulled it on over my all black ensemble. Christian wasn't a very subtle person.

"Ready?" he asked, holding out my gun and a new phone for me to take. I smiled and accepted them, shoving the gun down the back of my jeans, tucking it in the waistband.

"Elliot called me about an hour ago," Christian said, pulling on a pair of black Ray Bans as we climbed into the Audi SUV with Taylor. "He's trying to get me to help him without tipping off our parents that he lost the guns."

"If that's the case, then why are your parents meeting us at the warehouse?" I asked, puzzled. "Why is Gwen going to be there?"

"Well, there are bodies, which means it's a crime scene. The police will be asking questions about a robbery or if this was just a hit," Christian explained. "I tipped off my parents. Elliot has no right to be upset that I did, considering now we are all short on guns, since out stockpile was robbed."

I nodded. "Gwen?"

"She'll handle the press. We own the warehouse and any blowback will reelect on GEH, which I would like to avoid as much as possible. I'm bringing you along because you're my alibi when Elliot starts pointing fingers. Plus, since Gwen will be leaving us, this will be a great opportunity for you to see how both sides of this business mix."

I nodded, turning my attention back to the streets of Seattle. There still so many questions running through my mind, things I wanted to ask Christian about his life, how he juggled two multi-billion dollar industries and why he wanted to take over when he was already successful. I bit my lip, deep in thought, and I was surprised when we pulled to a stop on the outskirts of the city. It was a rough neighborhood, one that I had never ventured into before. Barney's cryptic remarks about Christian coming from the Jungle popped into my head as I saw the makeshift camp town on the hills in the distance.

"Let's go," Christian said, climbing out of the car. As I walked around the car to join him, I admired his powerful and domineering stance. He shook hands with a couple of police officers, before being waved under the crime scene tape, waving at me to join him. I gave a tight smile to the officers who looked questionably at me. Once I again, I was completely out of my element.

"They think it was a hit, so there's no risk of them discovering that it was actually a robbery," Christian whispered into my ear, his hot breathe causing me to shiver with some level of anticipation.

"How many bodies in total?" I asked, spotting two covered in tarps surrounded by people in white bunny suits.

"There's one more inside, but I had Taylor replace the lock and chain with an exact replica, so they won't find it. Elliot will have to deal with it," he explained, pulling out his phone and texting someone. "Gwen is here."

I waved at the petite redhead as she strolled towards us, dressed in her usual work attire and pea coat. "Morning."

"How are you?" I asked, grinning as she took in the scene and smiled.

"I've been better. Dragging myself out of bed on a Saturday at seven in the morning isn't my idea of fun,"she said surveying the scene. "No press yet?"

Christian shook his head. "Not yet. As soon as they catch wind that this was a hit, they'll be crawling all over it."

She nodded and motioned to me. "It's time to show you how I usually spend my day."

We walked towards the officers who were monitoring the scene, and the nodded in greeting to us.

"Good morning gentlemen," Gwen said, shaking their hands. "I'm Mr. Grey's head of PR and I'd like to know what I would be allowed to say to the press."

They nodded. "Of course, ma'am. Keep in mind that this is an active murder investigation and that significant details cannot be released to the press. If any witnesses show up, you'll be able to share the description, but for now, you need to be very vague."

Gwen nodded and thanked the officers before walking away. I followed her. "Why did you talk to them if you knew their answers?"

"We need the police to know that we will cooperate fully with their investigation. I'm assuming you know what really happened here last night, otherwise Christian wouldn't have brought you here," she said as I responded with a nod. "It's how the Grey family literally gets away with murder. The rumors of their involvement are true, but they've never been able to make any charges stick. And in my humble opinion, that's because I work for Christian."

I giggled at her statement, knowing that it was true. Christian was a good criminal, but he seemed to work even better when there were people behind him, ready to help if he was in over his head. My head whipped towards the sound of another car pulling up. A black Range Rover pulled to a stop and Grace and Carrick climbed out. Mia trailed behind them, looking slightly worse for wear, a familiar sullen expression marring her face. I groaned internally as she spotted me, her eyes narrowing.

Gwen glanced at me and chuckled under her breathe. "She hates you, right?"

"Unfortunately," I whispered in response, plastering a fake smile on my face as Carrick greeted me.

"How are you doing after yesterday, Anastasia?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm hanging in there," I said, honestly. Truth be told, spending time with Christian had taken my mind off things. I wasn't shaken by the explosion as much as I was shaken and upset by Kate's declaration that we could no longer be friends.

"That's very good to hear. I'm so glad you weren't injured. How's working for Christian going?" he asked.

I chuckled at his question. "i'd say pretty well considering where we're currently standing."

"Very true," he said chuckling. "Are you shadowing Gwen?"

I nodded. "She's incredible at what she does."

Gwen turned from her conversations with Grace to smirk at me. I grinned back causing Carrick to chuckled. He clapped me on the shoulder. "I'm glad it's going so well."

I walked with him towards Christian who was watching the coroners begin to remove the bodies. "It will be a miracle if the press don't show up."

"Where the hell is my idiot brother?" Christian asked his father, seething. If there was one thing I had learned about Christian it was that he was a brilliant actor when he needed to be. Somehow, he was always in control of his emotions but could tap into them as soon as it was necessary to play a role correctly. I watched as he shared his frustrations with his father, watching as he projected his anger onto Carrick, who, after a couple of minutes looked nearly as angry as Christian did. He was a master manipulator and I finally witnessed him in action. It scared me, how easily he was able to rile Carrick up. But then again, the man was his father, and I thought about how easy it had been to push Ray's buttons. It didn't stop me from warning myself against him though. I needed to be careful. Especially after I promised him there were no more secrets. He still didn't know about the biggest betray yet- my father was Stephen Morton.

I watched closely as Elliot pulled up in a black Shelby Mustang. Carrick was fuming, and waved him over. Elliot looked nervous, but I could see his hard resolve peaking through. He was going to fight for what he wanted. And I knew that it would probably happen here, and now. The coroner's van pulled away, leaving myself, Gwen, and the Grey family standing in front of the warehouse. There was absolutely no one else around.

"Everyone, inside. Now," Grace said sternly. She even waved Gwen and I forward. Gwen caught my wrist.

"This is what Christian has been waiting for. It's been years in the making. You have your gun?" she whispered as we walked to the door.

I nodded silently.

"Good. You might need it."

"Jesus christ Elliot! Another one?" Carrick spat disdainfully, spotting the other body. I didn't want to look at it.

"This had to be an inside job! The lock was intact!" Elliot yelled.

"Yeah or your enemies are just really fucking smart," I said, before I could help myself. Grace raised her eyebrows at me.

"What do you mean, Ana?" she asked. I glanced at Christian, who was trying to fight a smug smile.

"I mean, obviously someone knew this place was here. I'd guess they followed any one of you here. It's not as heavily guarded as any other place, which should make it less of a target, but it makes it seem more secretive. Now, if I was an enemy, looking to cripple your family, I wouldn't want the police to know this was anything more than a hit. It's quietly sending your family a very personal message. They can dump those guns at any time, any place and have them tied back to all of you. Am I wrong?" I asked, looking at all of them.

"You seem to have given this a little too much thought, Anastasia," Elliot spat.

"I agree with my brother. You may be smart, but no one is that smart," Mia said, examining her nails. "I don't trust you."

I looked up to see Christian trying to fight a smile off of his face. "I'm sorry to disappoint you both, but Anastasia, as you know was with me last night."

Elliot waved his hands. "She had someone she knows do it, obviously."

"No known associates, Elliot," Carrick interjected while Grace looked thoughtful.

"Christian, she was sleeping in the guest room. We all know you have a strong distaste for cameras in your personal space. How do you know she didn't sneak out and do this?" Grace said, expertly planting a seed of doubt.

"Grace, you give me too much credit. I'm a good shot, but there's no way I could take out two security cameras at the same time without help," I said, goading her.

"Mom, Ana slept in my bed last night. I should know, I was there," he said dryly.

"You both did this then! He's trying to frame me!" Elliot said, pulling his gun on Christian, who just looked bored. I pulled my gun and removed the safety, chambering a bullet before pointing it at Elliot.

"Yes Elliot, we've heard it before. But, my company is doing very well right now. Tell me, why would I want to get more involved in illegal business when I can enjoy all of my wealth without having to ship the cash to Mexico daily to get it cleaned?" Christian said. "I don't want to take over, and I know I've made it clear I don't trust you to lead this family, but honestly. You think I would kill three of our men? You know how loyal I am. Don't question it again," Christian said, pulling his own gun on Elliot. Christian was terrifying in that moment, able to crush and doubts in Elliot's mind and scare him into never doubting him again. Christian was a calculated killer of everything, from people to thoughts.

Gwen chuckled. "Now that the family spat is over, can we all admit that this looks exactly like the Cartel robbery we dealt with last year? It's the same MO. Busted security cams, tactical, lethal execution of the guards. The lock was replaced with an identical one, meaning someone did their research. The stole the goods and stabbed the last guard and left him inside. And we'll get the message from the Cartel in a day or so."

Carrick sighed. "Gwen is right. Thank you for acting as a voice of reason, something my family seems to be lacking these days. Elliot, this is on you. We'll discuss it tomorrow at Brunch. You and Ros will be there, right Gwen?"

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," she said with a happy smile. Gwen left the warehouse, followed by Grace and Carrick and very pissed off Mia, who had the audacity to bump into me on the way out.

"Do you need help, Elliot?" Christian asked, referring to the body.

"Nah, I'll call one of the guys. I'm sorry for doubting you bro. I know you hate the idea of me in charge, but I know you'd never go against me," Elliot said, holding out a hand. Christian nodded and shook his hand, escorting me out of the building.

Once we were in the confines of the car with Taylor, I asked him the question that had been on my mind. "Did you steal from your family before?"

Christian chuckled. "That was actually the Cartel. They don't want Elliot to take over for my Dad when he steps down, so they were more than happy to help me out this time."

I shook my head. There was no way in hell I would be able to keep up with all of this regularly. I was going to have to make a map or a key for every complex business and personal relationship Christian had. On both sides of the law.

 _ **I know it's been a slow burn between our two favorite characters, but next chapter will be the turning point in their relationship...**_

 _ **Thank you to everyone who always leaves me reviews and reaches out. Interacting with this audience is the best and I love hearing your ideas and questions! The support that I received aft announcing I wouldn't be continuing The Fling was incredible, and I'm pleased to say that it's on a vacation, it's not finished just yet. I needed to step away, and I'll be staying away for a while. But it will be completed as I intended. Thank you again to everyone who encouraged me not to give up (insert heart emoji here).**_

 _ **Please let me know wh**_ _ **at you think! If you like Sons of Anarchy, please check out my new story, The Ride.**_

 _ **And, as usual, my Pinterest board for this story can be found if you search /mosaic23/ or you can find the link on my profile!**_


	10. Chapter 10

Christian was tapping away on his phone, probably responding to emails when Taylor slammed on the breaks, causing us to lurch forwards in out seats. Before either Christian or I could react, Taylor was out of the driver's seat running towards the flaming car on the side of the highway in front of us.

"What the fuck?" Christian asked, getting out of the car. He tucked his gun into the back of his jeans before climbing out. "Stay in the car, Anastasia."

I nodded, reaching towards the front of the car to turn on the blinkers and called 911. I didn't know what was going on, but if there was someone in that car they would need medical attention. My phone flashed with a call from Gwen once I finished talking to the 911 operator.

"Gwen," I said in greeting.

"Are you with Christian, I can't get through to him," she said, sounding agitated.

"Yes, what's wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"Esclava is on fire," she said. I paused, not really knowing how to respond.

"Shouldn't we just let it burn?" I asked, knowing that this was the perfect opportunity for him the get out of business with Elena Lincoln.

"Normally I'd say yes. But the fire department is here and there are people inside, Ana. This could be a murder investigation if someone dies and the fire is ruled as arson," Gwen said.

"Taylor and Christian and myself will have airtight alibis," I said, watching a police car pull up with an ambulance and firetruck behind them.

"It's not you three I'm worried about. Apparently, a witness spotted someone fitting Mia's description fleeing from the scene. And we both know if she was with her family, that won't hold up in court because of their reputation and past indiscretions, even though they are always acquitted," Gwen said.

"Shit," I breathed out. "I'll talk to Christian as soon as he finishes pulling this person from a burning car."

Gwen chuckled humorously. "I'll meet you both at GEH soon."

"See you soon," I said hanging up. I watched as Taylor and Christian pulled a charred body from the car. The policemen quickly asked them to step back and the paramedics stepped in, rushing around the person. I couldn't tell if the person was male or female- there was no hair on their head and it was covered in burns and charred skin.

Taylor and Christian were pulled to side, talking with one of the police officers. They shook hands and looked morose as we watched a yellow sheet being pulled over the person's head. They were dead.

"Christian, we need to get to GEH," I said softly as soon as they were back in the car. "Gwen called me."

He nodded, seeming very detached and I could tell he was stressed. His jaw was clenched tight and his eyes were dark and heavy. He held my hand, seeming to try and seek some sort of comfort from the gesture. Taylor glanced at me through the rearview mirror and I nodded, telling him to drive.

Gwen was standing by the elevators as we pulled into the private garage. I smiled at her, Christian standing socially behind me. She looked at me questioningly and I shrugged, letting her know I'd explain later. "I'll brief you on the ride up."

Gwen launched into her explanation. Christian asked a few questions, but I was too focused on the text I had received. It was from Elliot. _Call me._

I tucked my phone into my back pocket and followed Gwen and Christian into his office where Ros was waiting and on the phone. She hung up and shook her head. "Two bodies were found."

"Jesus Christ," Christian exhaled. "What can we do?"

Ros studied him evenly. "The fire chief believe it is arson from what they've discovered about the starting point of the fire. We'll know the official ruling in a couple of hours. The press haven't caught wind of anything yet, just the fire. Your silent partnership should help keep any press off of us."

Christian nodded.

"I need to make a call," I said, excusing myself and slipping from the office.

"Elliot?" I asked, as he picked up on the first ring.

"It's Mia. She's gone," he choked out.

I froze, feeling chills run up and down my spine. "When you say gone…"

"Dead," Elliot whispered. "Can you tell Christian? He needs to get to the hospital."

"Sure, we'll see you soon. I'm so sorry Elliot," I said, my voice breaking slightly. Taking a steadying breathe I texted Barney, letting him know to speak to Gwen about all of this and how Mia was possibly connected. I called Welch next.

"Welch."

"Hi Welch, it's Anastasia Steele," I said, still wondering what his first name was.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, sounding slightly more alert.

"I need you to get me Mia Grey's phone records. Please do this subtlety and tell no one else. I'm trying to prove myself wrong before going to be boss," I explained, hoping he'd buy it. I knew the police would pull them soon, and I really wanted to get ahead of them on this.

"No problem. I'll get them to you within the hour.," he said, hanging up.

I took a deep breathe and headed back into the office.

"Christian we need to go to Seattle Grace," I said softly, watching his face change from tense to confused. His eyes were filled with dread. He nodded, not asking any questions and I didn't know what to tell him. He left the office and I caught Gwen's arm.

"What type of car did the witness say Mia was driving?" I asked, hoping that Christian hadn't inadvertently pulled his own sister's body from the flaming car.

Gwen looked puzzled. "A silver sedan. Maybe a Toyota."

My blood ran cold and I nodded. "Would she have enough time to leave the warehouse with her parents and go to Esclava?"

Gwen nodded. "If she was dropped off at her loft, then yes."

"Thanks Gwen," I said, ignoring her suspicious face. "I've got to go with Christian. Call me if you need us."

We sat in the SUV in silence, Christian holding my hand even more tightly than before. He swallowed before asking the one question I was dreading. "Who?"

My heart broke as I saw how scared he was. "Mia."

His jaw clenched tight and I saw him trying to control his breathing as his eyes filled with tears. Blinking rapidly, his let his head fall and I watched as the wracking sobs took over his body. My heart broke all over again as I watched this strong man break in front of me. I unbuckled my seat belt and slid over to wrap my arms around him. His breathing caught as I slipped my arms around his shoulders.

"Ana," he gasped out, frozen. "I can't."

I shut my eyes, realizing I had crossed a line. I loosened my grip around him, and was about to pull away before his hand shot up to keep my arms in place.

"Lightly," he whispered, during his face into my arm. I let my other hand trail up and stroke his head softly, trying to provide him with some form of comfort. I knew from watching Lincoln with him that he was uncomfortable being touched and I knew I would cry if he wanted me to hug him properly. In that moment, I realized just how much he trusted me.

Christian didn't let go of my hand as we walked into the small, clinical room. Grace was wrapped in Carrick's arms as they were sitting on a love seat. I couldn't see Grace's head. Elliot was standing in the corner, looking up at the ceiling, tears rolling down his cheeks. Only Carrick acknowledged our presence. I kissed Christian's hands, feeling like an intruder and I slipped out of the room to find some coffee and water for everyone. My phone buzzed with an email from Welch.

I sat down at the cafeteria table and froze when I recognized Luke Sawyer's number. I flipped through the pages of text messages, pausing when I read the last two she received.

 _Mia, don't do it!_

 _I swear to fucking God Mia! You think you're protecting him, but you're not. Christian is a big boy and you need to leave Elena alone!_

I had no idea what to make of those texts, but I knew Luke was somehow mixed up in all of this. I took a screenshot and texted the image to Barney. Right now, I wanted out from whatever fucked up informant relationship we had. I didn't want to help that bastard.

I slipped back into the room with the coffees and water, earning a grateful smile from Carrick. I sat down on one of the chairs, letting the family I had come to care about mourn in peace.

"Thank you, Anastasia," Carrick said, standing once Grace had more of a hold over her emotions.

"I've talked to the hospital and Gwen. There's a media circus outside, but I've arranged for Taylor to pick us up from the service entrance," I said softly. "I'm so sorry."

Grace gave me a watery smile before pulling on her sunglasses and leaving the room, followed by Carrick. Christian lingered with me, and took both of my hands in his. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

I swallowed thickly. "Let's get you home."

He allowed me to lead him from the room and through the hospital. The car ride was quiet and tense. Taylor dropped Elliot, Grace, and Carrick off in Bellevue, before continuing back to Escala.

Christian headed straight for his office as soon as we got back. Mrs. Jones was standing in the foyer wringing her hands nervously. "Is there anything I can do?"

I smiled sadly at her. "Maybe just a light dinner. Then you can go home. I think Taylor will need the support."

She looked shocked for a second, probably that I had been able to discern that they were in a relationship, and nodded, slipping back into the kitchen. I trailed towards Christian's office, knocking lightly on the door. It pushed open- he hadn't shut it properly, and I saw him sitting at his desk, gazing at a photograph drinking a glass full of whiskey.

He didn't look up as I stood in front of the desk. "We stopped getting along when she turned eighteen. I didn't try to do anything to fix it."

I bit my lip, trying to figure out how to tell him that Mia seemed to be trying to target Lincoln for a reason. She knew something or was angry about something. He continued before I could say anything.

"She hated me. She hated the fact I was so successful. And when she chose not to go to college, she thought she could get away with it, like I did when I dropped out. She had no idea what I did to get the money to start GEH," he took a large gulp from his glass. "And when my dad refused to help her, she started fucking a cop. I mean, we were okay with her dating, but a cop? I'd never seen Carrick get so mad. I think that's when we really lost her."

I sat down at one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Christian, it's not your fault."

His stormy grey eyes met my own. "How can you possibly say that? I wasn't so focused on the illegal side of things, Mia would still be alive. We could have reached her car sooner if I hadn't have offered to help Elliot hide a body."

I sighed sadly. "I'm so sorry Christian."

He looked at me and stood suddenly. I stayed seated as he came around the desk and too my hand. He gently pulled me to my feel and cupped my face with his hands. His eyes were searching mine, and I felt myself respond the intensity of his gaze.

It was soft as first, his lips lightly brushing my own, causing me to inhale sharply. Taking advantage of my open lips, he slipped his tongue inside, tasting of whiskey. I threw my arms around his neck as he increased the intensity, his arms tracing down the sides of my body. He pulled back, my lips were tingling and my body was on fire.

Taking my hand he led me through the empty apartment towards his bedroom. Shutting the door, he pressed me up against it, once again claiming my mouth in a fierce kiss, owning me. I felt his hard length press against my stomach, and his hand moved from the small of my back to squeeze my behind, causing me to arch into him. His lips trailed from my mouth to my neck, causing me moan and shiver with anticipation.

He pulled off his jacket, followed by his shirt, and then yanked mine off. I could feel our desperation roll off of us creating a heady and intense atmosphere, pulling my shirt over my head, he took a step back. "Touch me, Ana."

I made a move to go to his belt, but he caught my hands and placed them on his hard chest. I gasped, feeling something more than arousal. My eyes began to water, and I could see him blinking back tears.

"I need something good," he said, closing his eyes and encouraging me to press harder. I trailed my hands over his shoulders, dancing my fingertips over the light circular scars on his chest. His breathing hitched as I skimmed over every single one. He made no move to stop me. I trailed my hands past his chest and traced over his cut abs, gliding over hard swell of muscle. He tensed, his eyes opening gazing carnally at me. I shivered as his hands trailed up to my back and unclasped my bra. He gently pulled it down off my shoulders, gazing at me. He made no secret of his enjoyment, his eyes raking over my body, drinking me in like a thirsty man. It was one of those rare moments when I felt truly beautiful.

He led me over the bed, where I sat down and made quick work of his belt, tugging down his jeans and boxers at once. I grasped him gently in my hand, feeling his rock solid member twitch as my fingers danced up and down his shaft, similar to the touches I traced on his chest.

His eyes closed and he let our a guttural moan as I took him in my mouth. Gently I let my tongue massage him, savoring the taste of him. I began taking him farther and farther into my mouth, causing him to moan sharply and gaze down at me in surprise when my nose came into contact with his body. He grinned salaciously then and I swallowed, raising an eyebrow as a strong of curses slipped from his lips. I let him go with a pop, and quickly removed my shoes, jeans and panties, and kneeled on the floor instead of sitting in the bed. I went to take him in my hand, but he stepped back, and pulled me to my feet quickly, capturing my lips in a ferocious kiss, pushing me back on the bed.

Quickly, his mouth moved from my lips as he began to lavish attention on my nipples, causing me to moan. When he pressed his body against mine to stop me moving I began to panic.

"Christian," I said, hoping my voice didn't sound too aroused. He pulled back and looked at me, his forehead crinkling with concern.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly.

"I can't," I started. "I mean, I have to be on top."

He looked at me and pulled away completely, and I sat up, feeling embarrassed. "Why?"

"I, uh, Bob Adams," I said, chocking back the tears that were threatening to fall. Christian looked murderous and suddenly my mind was filled with the insecurity I fought everyday. He didn't want me anymore. I took a shaky breathe and made a move to stand. When I grabbed my panties, Christian stopped me.

"What are you doing?" he asked, grabbing my hands.

"You don't want me," I whispered, my eyes closed.

"Look at me, Anastasia," he said, gently. I glanced into his grey eyes, seeing nothing but admiration. Everyone else looked at me in pity when I told them. "Does it look like I don't want you?"

I bit my lip as he wrapped my hand around his erection. "I'm harder than I've ever been in my life."

He kissed me slowly, letting me reacclimatize to the previous level of passion and arousal I had felt. He slowly reignited the fire in my belly. He sat back on the bed, pulling me on top of him and I wanted to cry. Instead, I kissed him with everything I had, causing him to moan and it filled me with a level of pride. I was pleased I was affecting him.

"Where were we?" he asked, taking my breasts in both of his hands, pinching the nipples. A sharp wave of arousal washed through me and I inuolvnaritly ground down on his erection. He raised an eyebrow and pushed up against my heat.

I closed my eyes, letting the sensations work their way through my body bringing me closer and closer to the edge.

"Come for me, Ana," he growled out, tipping me over the edge with another roll of his hips.

He pulled me off him and sat up. "Are you clean?"

I nodded, thinking it was a little late for that conversation considering I had soaked his throbbing erection.

"Birth control?" he asked. I shook my head and he sighed standing. "I'll be right back. I don't keep condoms in here."

He kissed me, leaving me breathless before darting out of his room. I giggled to myself as I heard him running down the hall. He was back quickly, holding a whole strip of Magnums, naked. I raised my eyebrows.

He pushed me back on the bed, before pulling back and lying on his back, handing me the condom.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, looking slightly nervous. I nodded and ripped open the package, pinching the tip and rolling the condom onto his large, erect penis.

I straddled him, kissing his lips and grinding myself onto him, causing him to moan. I lightly grazed his neck with my teeth and he sat up, grabbing his erection and sliding himself into me. I moaned at the feeling, clenching against him. I began to move, rolling my hips and relishing the feeling of him inside of me. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt, considering his size.

It was slow and steady and I could feel myself climbing fast. I could feel myself tighten and clench around him as I chased my orgasm. His thrusts sped up as my moans more and more frequent. The hand that wasn't wrapped around my waist began pinching and expertly rolling my clit, sending me over the edge. I could barely hear myself let out a guttural moan, or feel myself arch my back into him as I rode out the spasms that rocked my body- every part of me filled with exquisite pleasure.

He groaned and stilled, finding his own release, just as I started to come down from mine. He lay back, still inside of me, pulling me on top of him. He gently kissed my lips, wrapping his arms around me, holding him to me as we both recovered. Lying there, I ran my fingertips over his scars again, kissing the one closest to my lips before letting myself relax into the sanctuary of sleep.

 ** _I think I put off writing this chapter because I was afraid. I hope you enjoyed it ;) Please let me know what you think!_**

 ** _A huge thank you to everyone for your continued support- I'm humbled by the number of followers, favorites, and reviews this story has! (A special shoutout to the incredible ladies of the best Facebook group known to mankind)_**

 ** _Check my profile for a link to my Pinterest page or search /mosaic23/~ I'm also on Facebook now: Mosaic Twenty-Three_**

 ** _If you like Sons of Anarchy please check out my newest story, The Ride!_**


	11. Chapter 11

I watched as Christian tied his black tie with a level of dexterity I wish I possessed. Flipping down the collar on his black linen shirt, he then slid on his black suit jacket. He looked sad and defeated, his shoulders slumped. Yet somehow, dressed completely in black, he still looked beautiful. He caught me watching him in the mirror and gave me a sad smile. His eyes were glistening with unshed tears and my heart ached for him.

We had been woken up the morning after by the shrill ringing of his phone at seven. The sound resonated within our bubble, shattering the peace we had found in each other. Watching Christian break down as he spoke to his mother about the different types of caskets while we were still intertwined was one of the most heartbreaking things I had ever seen. Even more heartbreaking than learning about Ray's death. Christian blamed himself for letting Mia get lost, for letting her run into the arms of someone who couldn't protect her. He wasn't sharing any details of her death with me, but I knew with certainty that she was gone when the words "dental records" were whispered.

"Love you too, Mom," he whispered, his voice hoarse as he hung up the phone and buried his face in his knees, covered by the white sheet. I gently stroked his back, placing light kisses to the top of his head every so often, waiting patiently as his breathing evened out. There was nothing I could do for him.

We stayed in bed for hours, waiting for the clock's little hand to point to three- when we would leave for the cemetery. He would tell me short little snippets about Mia as a child before breaking down in tears once again. There was so much I wanted to ask him, especially about the day Mia was brought home, but I refrained. Christian needed someone to lean on and I had a feeling he would isolate himself even further from the rest of his family after this. I couldn't fault him for loving his little sister this much.

I stood up from the bed and wrapped my arms around Christian's waist, letting my cheek rest against his back. I felt his own hands grasp mine tightly, my heart breaking even more when his body began to vibrate with silent sobs. There was nothing I could do for him, nothing to ease the pain. Seeing him this distraught brought memories of Ray's death crashing back to the surface and I was blinking back my own tears. Christian needed me to strong for him, considering everyone else around him who he trusted would be in pouring as well.

"It's time to go," I whispered, untangling myself from him. He glanced down at me and nodded, grabbing a pair of black sunglasses. I kissed his cheek before trailing out of the closet, leaving him to follow me. I caught a glance of myself, dressed in a black dress, stockings, and heels that had arrived in a familiar silver bag. Now was not the time to fight with Christian about figuring out my living situation.

Taylor met us in the foyer, dressed in black, looking more somber and stoic than I had thought possible. He had to have been to too many of these. He nodded at us and whispered in my ear. "Christian will need you today."

Christian's hand wrapped around my own and he didn't let go until we reached the cemetery.

As we climbed out of the car, flashes blinded us and I was instantly thankful we all had the forethought to wear sunglasses. Questions were being screamed from all sides, and thanks to Taylor and another security officer, we were able to escape into the sanctuary of the cemetery. Christian's hand still didn't leave my own.

There wasn't any fanfare like a usual funeral, just the burial of the closed casket. Christian still held onto me as I said a quiet hello to the rest of his family and Ros and Gwen. Gwen was glowing and her hands were conspicuously clasped in front of her stomach. I gave a her a knowing smile. There were quite a few other people around, standing slightly away from Mia's immediate family, and I recognized one face. He was an alleged Italian mobster and I could tell he was carrying- his left pocket was hanging slightly low. Taylor took notice of where I was looking and nodded at me.

Christian's hand tightened on mine as we approached the open hole in the ground to place a flower on the sliver casket. At this point, the tears that had been welling up in my eyes spilled over. It was too familiar, and too much. Keeping my head bent down, I studied every detail on the ground, from the patent leather of the heels I was wearing, courtesy of Christian, to the color of the grass. I tuned out the words the priest was saying, trying my best to control my emotions and stay strong. Because in that moment, it didn't matter that I had no where to live. It didn't matter than my father was dead. It only mattered that Christian was hurting.

As the service ended and the rest of the crowd dispersed, Christian and I were still standing over the hole. Reading the epitaph on the headstone brought tears to my eyes.

 _Mia Trevelyan-Grey_

 _Beloved Sister and Daughter_

 _Forever and Always in Our Hearts_

Christian was just staring at the hole in the ground, down at the silver casket covered with red roses. I felt like someone was watching us and I pulled my head up and glanced around. Members of the paparazzi were still around, obsessed with the mysterious Grey family and I spotted Taylor watching with the other members of the security staff. I let my eyes trail over to the mausoleums, and squeezed Christian's hand before releasing it and heading towards the one that was barely out of sight. He looked at me, slightly puzzled before following me. I glanced back over at the crowd of photographers that was being broken up by the security team and the police.

I headed off in the direction of the mausoleum that caught my eye- the wrought iron door was slightly ajar. I turned and placed my hand on Christian's chest.

"Christian," I whispered, looking up into his tormented eyes. "Go home, be with your family."

Alarm bells were sounding in my head and my gut was telling me to leave. I couldn't be responsible for Christian getting hurt if he was distracted.

"No, I'm not leaving you," he said, clenching his door. His eyes flashed with anger and I watched him take a steadying breathe.

"Please, just give me fifteen minutes then," I said, kissing his cheek softly. He glared and gave me a stiff nod before turning around and heading back towards the SUV. I scanned the area around me, breathing a sigh of relief when I realized that there was no way anyone could see me. I slipped my hand into my stocking and pulled out the knife I had tucked into the top.

"You son of a bitch!" I exclaimed harshly, slamming my forearm against Luke's throat and pinning him to the solid marble wall of the mausoleum. I saw red as he pushed back against me, having the audacity to glare at me. It was his fault.

A wave of anger passed through me, leaving me more clear headed than I had ever been in my life. I knew what I had to do. He was fighting and in my heels I was losing strength fast. Too fast for my liking. This man in front of me was the cause of so much pain and suffering- my own and Christian's. Before I could think, before I could rationalize how to get out of that situation, I thrust my other arm, forward, relishing the feeling of the lethally sharp metal cutting through his clothes and skin. I pulled my arm up, the knife still embedded in his torso, slicing through the skin. He chocked, and slide down the wall. His breathing was labored as blood and what looked like parts of his intestines began to fall down. I wiped the blade of my knife on his pants, careful to wipe the door of my prints and wipe his neck down with the edge of my dress as I watched him take his last breaths. I slipped the knife back into my stocking and took off my heels, jumping over the pool of blood that was bright red and staining the white marble.

Stumbling out of the mausoleum, I took deep breaths trying to calm my racing heart and get the adrenaline out of my system. Despite having just murdered someone, I felt a strange wave of relief flood my body. I felt powerful, unstoppable even. My new phone starting ringing and I came crashing back to reality.

"Hello?" I answered, not recognizing the number.

"We will take care of the body, Miss Steele," said the same garbled voice that warned me to get out of my apartment. The line clicked and I dropped my phone like I had been burned. Who was calling me?

My hands were shaking as I grabbed the phone off of the grass and raced back to the SUV.

"What the fuck, Anastasia?" Christian barked as I climbed in besides him.

"I thought I saw someone," I said making sure to keep my right hand hidden in the folds of my dress.

He glared at me, his eyes narrowed. It was the same expression that had scared me. "Don't do that again."

I rolled my eyes, to keyed up to be lectured by him. "Leave it alone, Christian."

Christian huffed angrily besides me, running a hand through his hair. "It's very dangerous for you to be out by yourself right now."

I turned to him appalled. "If it wasn't for my quick thinking, it would be you we'd have to lower into that grave."

He froze and looked shocked. That was a brutal his below the belt and I instantly regretted it.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean.." I trailed off.

"You're right," he said simply, turning to look out of the window as we traveled through downtown Seattle. I couldn't see his face and I couldn't tell what he was thinking. "I'm talking with Dr. Flynn tonight. I'd appreciate it if you'd stay in the guest room. Considering how you don't like him."

I bit my lip at his harsh words. He was pulling away faster than I could think of a way to react, lashing out at me for abandoning him. I blinked back tears. I knew I was getting in too deep, too fast. I was royally fucked.

He didn't wait for me to enter the elevator and I was scrambling to keep up with him, still shaking. Taylor glanced in my direction and I could see worry in his eyes.

"Thank you for driving, Taylor," I said once we reached the penthouse. He nodded and headed towards the security suite, pausing as he passed by the kitchen, looking for Mrs. Jones. I darted out of the great room and headed straight for the guest room and locked myself inside, before breaking down.

Pulling myself together slightly, I threw my dress and stockings in the sink full of cold water, hoping to soak the blood out of the fabric. using toilet paper, I began the tedious process of cleaning the shoes. It calmed me somewhat and I found myself staring at the knife, sitting in the pristine, white bath, dried blood caking the steel blade.

I wrung out the dress and stockings and hung them on the empty towel rack. Frowning, I headed back into the clinically white bedroom to try and find some towels in the closet. Opening the multiple drawers, I found the towels, but not before I pulled open a drawer that was empty apart from a large dildo and a pair of handcuffs. I didn't want to know.

The bath was full when I returned, the water slightly pink from the knife that was sitting at the bottom of the tub. I fished it out and wiped it clean under water, placing it by the sink when it was shiny again. I drained the bath, rolling my eyes at myself for wasting so much water to wash a stupid knife, but it felt necessary because it was a murder weapon. Taking a deep breathe, I let my mind wander.

Christian's face was a constant as I stood in the shower and lathered my body in his fragrant wash. I was pissed he thought he could control me, but I knew that it was because he cared about me- to a certain extent. I needed to talk to someone.

Wrapped in a fluffy white towel, I stared at my phone, wondering who had called me. They had my new number, and unlisted number and were able to help me twice. Sighing, I picked up the phone and dialed the mysterious number.

"Hello, Anastasia," the voice answered. I froze, feeling shivers trail up and down my spine.

"Who are you?" I asked, trying not to sound too aggressive.

"Your guardian angel," they deadpanned. I bit back laugh. This whole situation was ridiculous. Mysterious phone calls that somehow managed to save my life, twice now, were not common. And it was scaring me how much they seemed to know about me and what I was doing.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked, biting my lip.

"Would you rather we didn't?" they responded.

"No!" I explained quickly. "I'd just like to know who I owe for all of this."

"You'll know soon enough. We're always watching," they said before hanging up. I quickly threw the phone down and closed the curtains, even though I knew the glass was mirrored on the exterior for privacy reasons. My heart was racing as I headed back into the bathroom and quickly pulled on the bra and panties I was previously wearing and the slightly damp and ruined dress. I pulled my hair into a damp bun and grabbed my phone, before sneaking out of the guest room. I stopped at the top of the stairs, straining to hear any voices from the great room, but there were none. I sprinted down the stairs and straight into Christian's bedroom, slipping into the closet to grab the black boots, leather jacket, and gun I had left in his room from the day before. I slid on the jacket and shoved the gun in the front of my bra tucking my boots under my arm before bolting towards the elevator. Once I was safely inside, I pulled out my phone and dialed the familiar number. He picked up on the first ring.

"Jose?" I asked breathlessly. "Can we meet? I need to talk to you."

 _ **Why is she running and calling Jose? Dun dun dun... The plot thickens! (Yes, I know this chapter is really a filler...)**_

 _ **Thank you everyone! I have received more reviews, follows, and favorites than I ever thought possible! You guys are the best! Drop me a line if you have any questions- I love interacting with you all!**_

 _ **To clear up some questions:**_

 _ **Mia is really dead- she won't be coming back to life. That was really her body in the car.**_

 _ **There won't be another Christian POV for the rest of this story- everything else will be from Ana's perspective.**_

 _ **Find me on Pinterest by following the link on my profile or searching /mosaic23/**_

 _ **I'm now on Facebook: Mosaic Twenty-Three**_

 _ **If you like Sons of Anarchy, please check out my new story- The Ride**_

 _ **A huge thank you to the fabulous ladies of the incredible Facebook group ;)**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**A special thank you to LuvSummer and eschoenh!**_

"Ana, over here!" I heard Jose call out from his table nestled in the corner of the bar. I smiled genuinely at my good friend, slightly disappointed in myself that I let Taylor and Christian convince me to stay away. As if Jose Rodriguez Jr., my old friend, was dangerous. He was apparently the only person I could rely on.

He engulfed me in a friendly hug. "I miss you."

He pulled back and grinned. "I know."

Standing slightly shorter than Christian, but just as well muscled, Jose was a pretty attractive man. His brown eyes glinted with humor as I scowled. He hadn't changed his personality for as long as I had known him- still arrogant.

"Anyway, Chiquita, how are you doing?" he asked, looking much more serious. "I heard that you were blown up."

I rolled my eyes. "That's kind of why I'm here actually. You wouldn't happen to know anything about the mysterious phone calls I have been receiving do you?

"Mysterious phone calls? Is someone threatening you?" he asked, suddenly tense. I shook my head.

"Forget it," I whispered, greedily gulping down the Jack and Coke Jose had ordered for me. I knew he would have grinned if he was responsible. He would have probably told me on the phone he was the one looking out for me.

"Are you doing okay, though?" he asked gently. "I'm surprised Kate isn't here too."

"She's in Barbados," I said sharply, causing his eyebrows to raise. "Not that she'd want to see me anyway. She's done with our friendship."

"Oh Ana Banana, I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "Does she blame you for the explosion?"

"Yes, even though it was due to a gas leak or something," I said, but we both knew that wasn't true. I made a mental note to ask Christian about it. He had been surprisingly quiet about it. "She was only ever friends with me when it suited her, so I'm honestly not surprised."

Jose smiled sadly. "Want me to beat her up? Yell at her in Spanish? Pull her hair? Beat up Ethan?"

"Thanks, but I think I'm just going to let her be," I said, finishing up my drink and waving to a waiter for another. "She knows how to contact me."

"How's working for Grey?" he asked casually, but his eyes were probing. Jose's father owned a construction company, and I remember being surprised to see them meeting with Christian considering his own brother was in the business. But now, with Christian in the midst of staging his coup d'état, so to speak, it didn't surprise me at all.

"It's very busy," I said vaguely. "But I like it, it's just a lot at times. I never thought I'd have to question my own morals or have my loyalty questioned everyday."

Jose nodded. "Do you think you'll ever go back to publishing?"

I nodded. "The plan is to stay for a year. One of Mr. Grey's employees is pregnant, and I'll probably leave when she returns from her maternity leave."

"And you'll have one hell of a reference from Grey," he said, nodding. He exhaled heavily. "I saw the papers. Were you good friends with Mia?"

I shook my head and downed my drink, taking a sip of the fresh one on the table in front of me. "No, but I was there when Mr. Grey received the news. I don't wish that kind of torment on anyone."

"Chiquita, you know Ray would be so proud of you for having this job. He's resting in peace, watching over you," Jose said softly. It took everything in me not to roll my eyes, knowing that if Ray was watching over me he'd be rolling in his grave. "You're a good person, Ana. Never forget that."

"I miss him so much." Maybe it was the alcohol or the final traces of adrenaline leaving my system, but I broke down. Jose scooped me into a protective embrace and led me out of bar, and onto a bench outside. Jose said nothing as I cried into his shoulder for what seemed like hours. As I began to collect myself, a wave of nausea passed over me and I promptly heaved into the flower bed next to the bench. Wiping my mouth, I sat on the bench normally, only to be face to face with one very furious looking Christian. Shit.

"Anastasia, let's get you home," he said, domineering and furious. I rolled my eyes and stood shakily. Jose steadied me as I tried walking towards Christian. I noticed Christian's glare directed at Jose and I froze.

"Let me stay with Jose, Christian," I spat boldly, certainly drunk. My filter was gone and I was feeling too bold for my own good.

"No," he said evenly.

"Jose is my friend!" I shouted indignantly, unaware of the interest that people milling around outside were showing us. "He can come with us."

Christian's jaw clenched and his knuckles turned white as his hands formed into fists at his sides. He nodded imperceptibly and we headed towards the black SUV.

I snuggled in next to Jose, twilling a strand of hair around my fingers. Glancing down at my ruined dress, I started to cry again.

"Ana, what's wrong?" Christian asked from the front seat. His eyes were concerned and I could see the torment and anguish.

"I killed someone today," I whispered. "And I think they buried him with your sister. He should be put through a wood chipper."

Christian froze and glanced at Taylor before making eye contact with Jose and having some kind of silent conversation with him.

"Anastasia, what do you mean?" he asked gently.

"I stabbed him. And I kind of liked it. I was powerful," I said, feeling slightly fuzzy and warm from the alcohol.

"Ana, who did you stab?" Jose asked softly. I shook my head as I replayed the knife slicing into his body in my head.

"I washed my dress in the sink," I said, offhandedly. "I ruined it."

I turned to gaze out of the window, ignoring their comments and questions. Taylor pulled into the familiar parking lot and I stumbled out, not waiting for any of them as I typed in the week's elevator code. They jogged to get in with me.

"We're meeting with Barney tomorrow," Christian said, evenly. Jose was still watching me like he was waiting for something. Like he was expecting me to break down again. But, I wasn't crying for Luke earlier. I didn't regret killing him.

I wandered out of the elevator, using the wall to steady myself as I headed straight up to the guest room and flopped on the bed, hoping that sleep would claim me. My life was suddenly a steady stream of deadly events. I had no idea how Ray managed to remain sane if he was dealing with all of this on a daily basis as well. In a final moment of clarity, I finally understood why Ray kept me away.

"Anastasia, wake up," Christian said softly, shaking my shoulder. I sat up suddenly, my head throbbing and my mouth dry and feeling like it was full of cotton.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to stop the world from spinning. I heard Christian chuckled.

"It's ten in the morning. Drink this water and take some Advil. I'll be downstairs when you're ready," he said, leaving the white guest room. I did as I was told and ran a cold shower, hoping to wake myself up.

Padding down the stairs into the great room, I rolled my eyes when I spotted Christian talking to Dr. Flynn.

"Anastasia," he said, standing and smiling knowingly. "How are you feeling?"

"Like someone ran over me with a truck," I said, petulantly folding my arms over my chest. Christian's eyes narrowed at my blatant disrespect.

"Well, we have a lot to discuss," he said, sitting back down.

"Is Christian joining us?" I asked, not making any move.

"If you're comfortable with that," he responded, tapping away on his iPad. I narrowed my eyes at Christian, knowing he was trying to get me to talk to someone.

"I stabbed someone yesterday," I said, with absolutely no preamble. John froze and looked up at me through his glasses. "You can report that to Grace."

Christian frowned. "He's bound by law."

I raised my eyebrows and let out a humorless chuckle. "God knows what you've shared with him, right? I'll have Welch send you the copies of the emails he's been sending your mother."

Without looking back, I turned and walked out of the room, reveling in the sickening crunch of bone as I heard Christian break his nose. Or rib.

I texted Barney, perched on one of the barstools asking when we were scheduled to meet.

"Did you read those emails?" Christian yelled, grabbing one of arms and pulling me off of the stool.

"Get you fucking hands off me!" I screamed back, rotating my arm wildly trying to break his grip. I felt the familiar panic set it, the images were starting to flash through my head. "Let me go!"

Out of nowhere, Taylor appeared, stepping between us. I felt Christian release me, and I sucked in a shaky breathe, trying to calm down. He glared at Taylor who shook his head before retreating back towards the security suite. Christian was still furious and didn't look like he was going to be apologizing any time soon. I decided to play with him since he thought it was okay to put his hands on me. And I know how much he liked toys.

"Barney told me never to speak to Flynn alone and that Grace hired him. He's not even a real psychologist. Grace created the background check," I said, sitting back down. "And yes, I know how much you love to tie up little brunette girls and beat the shit out of them. Apparently, that's still true."

Christian inhaled sharply, his gaze looking almost feral. "You had no right!"

"I had every right! No one tells me shit, yet you all expect me to clean up your messes! Trust goes both ways and I need to know everything to keep myself safe because even though you claim to be able to protect me Christian, I've been saved twice by a mysterious person!" I yelled, letting out all of my anger and frustration. "I'm good at this job because I can take care of myself. But when people start keeping things from me that might hurt me, I'm going to dig and I'm going to find out!"

He slammed his hand on the counter, making me jump. "What else did you find out? Did you know find out about Elena? Did you find out how I got the money to create this company?"

I shook my head. "No, I couldn't dig that deep."

Christian chuckled humorlessly this time, running his hands through his hair. "Unfuckingbelievable. You find the least relevant piece of information and try to hold it over my head to get me to tell you more. Well, I trusted you! I didn't dig into Bob Adams. Somehow I thought you'd tell me when you were ready, but apparently you didn't extend the same courtesy."

I inhaled sharply, biting my lip as the first trickle of remorse made itself known since I stabbed Sawyer. Taking a deep breathe, I knew it was time to tell him. Tell him everything. "My father was Stephen Morton."

Christian looked shocked and sat down on the back of the couch, facing me. "What?"

"Raymond Steele was hired by the FBI as an informant. With his skill set and military background, he was an ideal candidate. Your family would be itching to let him into your ranks. The last time I saw him was two years ago, when he told me. Then, when he died, the investigation was formally closed. Except, I wasn't told that by the officer who was supposed to tell me," I explained, wringing my hands in my lap. Christian and a stelar poker face and I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Luke Sawyer," he breathed. I nodded.

"I was just doing surveillance. But I quickly figured it out, especially when Barney started to help me," I said. "I came back to Washington to go to school. I needed to get out of Georgia and Ray was the only real father figure I ever had growing up. Adams, well, he was anything but that."

Christian pressed his lips together in a tight line, nodding at me to continue.

"He believed in physical discipline. He would lock me in a closet or rough me up- chocking was his favorite. Then, when I was too weak, he'd get himself off and cum all over me. He liked to mark his territory," I said, softly, instinctively rubbing the side of my neck, trying to get rid of the feeling of his hands.

"I'm going to kill that fucker," Christian hissed. I shrugged.

"I don't give a shit about him," I said honestly.

"Don't test me right now, Anastasia. Thank you for telling me, but I'm still incredibly pissed off you had to tell me this way. Or that I didn't a chance to tell you my own story," he said tightly.

"BDSM isn't anything new to me, Christian. Just go into a bookstore and you'll understand," I said, shrugging.

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing pop culture is finally helping my case for once."

I nodded. "Not really. You are a borderline sadist with some very serious Mommy issues, Christian. Especially if what Flynn wrote was true."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breathe. "I know."

"At least you aren't in denial," I said walking towards him. I took on of his hands in my own. "When we were together, that was the first time you had sex out of a scene, right?"

"Yes," he whispered, his eyes still shut.

"Then I think you know that what you were practicing was more akin to torture than sexual play," I whispered, cupping his face in my hands.

He nodded, placing one of his hands over mine and opening his eyes. "I would get so angry. Even though I was in control, I still felt out of control. I'm not capable of any emotional connection."

His eyes were conflicted and vulnerable. I scoffed. "I think you'll find that you're wrong."

"Sir," Taylor interrupted. "Barney is on his way up."

He nodded and I stepped back. Taylor was looking at us curiously, and I smiled at him.

"We still need to talk about your father, Anastasia," he said sternly. I nodded as the elevator doors opened and Barney stroll into the great room, shaking hands with Christian before sitting on the couch facing us.

"How are you holding up, Christian," he asked.

"I'm fine," he said shrugging. "It will get easier."

"My condolences," he said. "Now we have a lot to discuss, but right now we need to focus on the gun pick up tonight."

Christian nodded. "I'd like Ana to be there. It will be, _educational_."

Barney raised his eyebrows. "Alright, well Taylor is going with you and I will be there to broker the rest of the deal regarding the money laundering."

Christian nodded. "The same plan. Ros is all set up to take control of GEH for the time being. We need to start moving forward with this plan. After Mia, legitimate business is now the priority."

"Have you heard from you parents regarding Elliot? Carrick has been very quiet about the whole thing," Barney said, referring to the robbery.

"Once Carrick realizes the Cartel have our weapons, I think Elliot will be done for," Christian said. "We both know that the Martinez Cartel will wash their hands of Carrick, leaving us open. I'm willing to sacrifice a few lives if it means all dealings will be done through me now."

Barney nodded. "Then we will wait. No point forcing anything. Anastasia, I got the results back form Welch and there was absolutely nothing. Whoever called you is good, better than Welch even."

"They called me again yesterday," I said. "After I took care of Luke Sawyer."

Barney's eyebrows raised. "Cathartic, yes?"

I nodded. "Very much so. I call the number back. No information."

"I'm inclined to believe that they are trying to help you. There's no point forcing them out of the shadows until they try to do something else," he said. "I've got to get going, but we will meet tomorrow to discuss Mia and the Esclava situation. I'll see you two in a few hours."

Christian stood and shook his hand and I followed suit. Barney was very loyal and I really appreciated the fact he was making an effort to include me in more of the business.

"Cartel pickup?" I asked turning to Christian.

He nodded. "I need you there tonight. We'll gear up after dinner."

We ate in silence, each of us wrapped up in our own thoughts. I snuck glances at Christian as I forced the food into my stomach. Something had shifted between us, he was less tentative and seemed much more relaxed. If Flynn was the only person he had confided in about his past submissives, he must be feeling some sense of relief like I was.

"Come," he said, standing up from the table and leading me to his office. He punched in a code on a keypad and pulled on the side of the modern bookcase behind his desk, revealing the entrance to a walk-in vault.

I stepped inside and looked around, letting my eyes roam over the weapons and gear.

"This is my personal stash," he said, selecting an AR-15 from one of the racks and handing it to me. "How does that feel?"

I positioned the gun getting used to the weight of it. "How much kick does it have?"

He shrugged. "It won't knock you over. Nothing you can't handle."

I nodded, placing it on the metal table in front of us. I wandered over the knives, picking up a few from the rack and pulling out a few body straps. Christian chuckled.

I smirked as I fastened a KA-BAR to my thigh over my jeans and slipped another in my opposite boot. Christian walked up to me with a double underarm holster and slipped it over my shoulders. I shivered at his touch, gazing into his hauntingly beautiful eyes. Before I could reign myself in, my lips were on his, demanding, needy, and forcing themselves against his mouth.

His tongue slipped through my parted lips, frantically stroking and massaging my mouth. He lifted me up, encouraging me to wrap my legs around his waist. He was already hard and even through the denim of our jeans I could feel him pressing against me.

My butt made contact with the metal table as he continued to ravage my mouth, his hands trailing up and down my body. I moaned when his dexterous fingers tweaked my hardened nipples through my shirt and lace bra. He chuckled against my mouth, his finger still pulling and rubbing, causing my hips to start grinding against his very hard erection.

Trailing his lips down from my mouth and to my neck, one of his hands trailed down and began to work its way under the waistband of my jeans. Wanting to reciprocate, I squeezed my hand around his length. He stepped away and struggled to catch my breathe.

"No sex before a fight," he said with a smirk. Coughing roughly into his fist when I scowled.

"A fight?" I exclaimed, trying to ignore the throbbing between my legs and my hypersensitive skin.

"You never know. We need to be high strung," he said, turning back to the task at hand, loading and checking the ammo in the guns.

I rolled my eyes and hopped off the table. "Because we weren't already trigger happy and high strung, right?"

He chuckled and handed me two Glocks to put in my holster.

"Did you ever do with this Gwen?" I asked, curious. I follow this lead and pulled on black baseball cap, zipping a black sweater up over my body and placing the strap of the AR-15 on my shoulder. He handed me a pair of black leather gloves too.

"No," he said, leading me back out of the vault. "She knew about all of this, but she was never directly involved. It was one of Ros' stipulations."

Taylor was waiting for us with two other men, all heavily armed like Christian and I.

"Shit, I forgot to get you vest," Christian exclaimed, running back towards his office.

I shrugged at the two men who were looking at me curiously. "Can you handle that gun little lady?"

Taylor was struggling to hide a smile as I narrowed my eyes at the beefy man who thought it would be okay to question me. "I've handled larger."

Christian returned and handed me the weighty vest, which I slipped on as we rode down the garage in the elevator. I was sandwiched between the two men, who I learned were Clayton and Paul, and fiercely loyal to Christian and Christian only.

We pulled into the private garage of GEH and I hopped out, my hands ready to grab the automatic weapon at the first sign of anything. Taylor returned to us, standing slightly in front of me. I heard the gate opening and watched as a black pickup truck and a black BMW pulled into the garage. My hands were on my gun as two men jumped out of bed standing and facing us, AK-47's in their hands.

Simultaneously, the driver's and passengar's doors opened on the BMW. I watched as two men in black stepped out and felt the breathe leave my body when I recognized their faces.

"Jose?" I called out, tears blurring my vision. His eyes met mine and were suddenly filled with sorrow. Everything was starting to fade around me and I could hear the blood rushing around. Before I could speak again or hear his response, everything went black.

 ** _This is a long one, but holy shit, right?_**

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**_Thank you so much to everyone who constantly reads and supports this story! You guys are an amazing audience and I'm so excited to share this story with everyone! Thank you doesn't cut it!_**

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	13. Chapter 13

**_A very special thank you to daytonalay for the perfect line to use in this story and stargazer93 for being so sweet and thoughtful! Also to the guest reviewer who left me what is probably my favorite review of all time, "Nooooo". That cracked me up- thank you!_**

"Ana, can you hear me?" I heard a blurry voice starting to break through the complete darkness and silence. It sounded nice, soothing. "Ana?"

"She's waking up!"

"Oh, thank god! Are you sure she didn't get a concussion from the explosion, Mom?"

I forced my eyes open, and took in the familiar surroundings. It was the same bed I woke up in last time I lost consciousness. I smiled slightly at the familiar feeling of the pillows.

"Hi sweetie, how are you feeling?" Grace asked, raising a glass of water to my lips. I groggily struggled to sit up. She handed me the glass, encouraging me to drink. I warily scanned her face, hoping that she either didn't know about my meeting with Flynn or was willing to ignore it for now.

"What's the verdict?" I asked, my voice sounding hoarse. "What's the time?"

"It's only about five in the morning," Grace said gently, refilling the glass for me. "It's stress, darling. With all that you've been through in the past couple of days, I'm not surprised. Your body couldn't cope with any more stress reactions."

I nodded. "Is everyone else okay?"

Christian nodded. "Our patrol was successful. I'm glad I got the tip though. Better to check out the threat, even if it was nothing. I'm so sorry Clayton scared you so much."

I shrugged. Something was off about his tone, he seemed almost defeated. I narrowed my eyes slightly, taking in his disheveled appearance and the faint mark of a scratch above his eyebrow. He got into a fight. Thankfully, I knew that he was lying, and I played along by nodding.

Grace patted my hand. "Please try and relax more, Anastasia. I realize that's going to be difficult, working for my son, and especially considering all that you've been though, but carve out time for yourself. Otherwise, you'll end up in hospital next time."

I nodded as she left the room, pausing to look at Christian. I couldn't see her expression, but from the way his jaw clenched, I had a very strong feeling she was chastising him. I waited for the door to close before talking.

"You knew," I said, watching him shift uncomfortably. That was a new reaction.

"You should have known. He was outside my office. You know my brother works in construction, what need would I have for another construction company. I'm surprised you didn't connect the dots," he said harshly.

I blinked back tears. "Are you trying to tell me I'm not good at my job? Fuck you, Christian! My best friend is part of the Martinez Cartel and you're telling me I should have known?"

He frowned and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I didn't mean that you aren't skilled. You usually pick up on these things."

I shook my head. "Get out."

"No, Ana," he said, using my nickname. He took my hand in his and I struggled, trying to pull it out of his grasp. "Shit. I didn't mean it like that."

"You just implied that I was stupid," I whispered, blinking back tears. "I have been nothing but loyal to you, and this is how you repay me? Get out, Christian."

He closed his eyes, his face tense like he was in pain. "I'm so sorry, Anastasia."

He left the room, leaving me to burst into tears as soon as the door closed. I cried for my father, losing my best friend, the betrayal of the man I cared about, the bar shooting, and my situation.

After what felt like hours, my eyes were red and raw, and my throat was hoarse. A quiet knock interrupted my sniffling. Great. Someone had heard me cry like an infant.

"Ana?" I groaned when I heard Christian's voice. "My mom says you can go once you have something to eat."

"Come in," I said hoarsely. He slipped into the room holding a tray of soup. Setting it in front of me, I eagerly began to devour the broth. He perched on the side of my bed, watching me eat with a guarded expression.

"Can I take you somewhere after this?" he asked softly, looking nervous. For the first time, I had a feeling Christian was dropping his walls around me, allowing me to see the real him.

"What do you have in mind?" I asked evenly, not giving anything away. I loved it when he tried to open up. But I couldn't let myself be so easily manipulated by him. Not like last time. I wouldn't get played again.

"I know Barney told you about the person who was trying to blackmail me," he said,lacing his fingers together and gazing at his hands. That was very out of character for him. "I've tried to keep my past as buried as possible so people would focus on my present. I don't want to go back to what I was or who I was."

"Barney told me you were rescued from the Jungle," I said softly, watching as Christian's eyes flashed up to meet mine.

He nodded. "And the lady that rescued me thought she could blackmail me. I want to show you who I really am."

"Okay," I said, watching as his face turned into one of surprise.

"Really?" he asked.

I nodded. "Just because you went behind my back doesn't mean I don't care about you, Christian. I mean, you chose a really shitty time to tell me that my best friend was part of the Martinez Cartel."

He exhaled heavily. "I know, and I'm still so sorry about that Anastasia."

I shrugged. "I know I haven't been through much compared to you, but losing two of your friends, your home, and your father does take it's toll."

He nodded empathetically. "Of course."

"So can you take me there now?" I asked, finishing my soup.

"Yes, but we have to stop by Escala first. The Jungle is very dangerous, especially for someone like you, Ana," he said, his voice back to the domineering and commanding tone I was used to. He helped me out of bed and left me to get organized.

As I was heading down the stairs, I paused on the second floor landing, hearing raised voices. I quietly stepped further into the hallway, straining to hear more of the conversation. It was Grace.

"You told me you had the boys under control, Carrick. Now, more than ever, we need to be united. Make sure this doesn't happen again," she said. I heard a door shut and quickly darted down the stairs, ignoring my sore muscles. Christian looked at me and was about to say something.

"What?" I asked, as we walked out of the house to the waiting SUV.

"It's nothing," he said. I didn't push it.

After making a quick stop at Escala, we pulled off of the freeway. Taylor parked the SUV besides a hill covered in trees. I could see tarps and pieces of cardboard littering the side of hill.

"Welcome to the Jungle," Christian quipped as he started walking up through the grass. "Stay close."

I followed him up, focusing on the steep incline. A homeless man passed us, heading down and smiled broadly at Christian who shook his hand. I glanced over my shoulder at Taylor, who was as stoic as ever. We crested the top of the hill and I was shocked at the sight below me. Extending down the slope and onto a flat patch of land that bordered the wall of the highway was the largest encampment I had ever seen. My heart broke for these people, and for Christian especially.

"I was born here," he said. "In a tent or something. I was six when I was rescued. Do you remember Issac Reynolds? He was also recused by the same lady."

I frowned. "Elena Lincoln?"

Christian nodded, gazing out over the tents and tarps, makeshift cardboard huts. "She pulled Issac out at the same time as me. Took us straight to social services. We were both adopted eventually and when I was fifteen she told me that she was the one who recused me."

I tried not to gasp. Elena Lincoln, the lady with heart-shaped nipples, had some kind sadistic of hold over both Issac and Christian. From the emails Flynn sent Grace, she had to be aware of Christian's story, of the abuse he suffered when he turned fifteen. Yet, Elena Lincoln was still running around as her friend.

"I know you know all about Elena form Flynn's emails," Christian said softly.

I nodded, trying not to start crying again. "You were fifteen. She groomed you."

He swallowed thickly. "I know. And she's still doing it. Choosing the most at risk children."

I bit my lip. "Christian, how did you get the money to start GEH?"

He closed his eyes. "My parents made me kill when I tuned sixteen. It went with the territory, the nature of our family. I loved the power and Elena knew that. When I left Harvard, she made me kill the parents of a little boy. I helped her get her hands on another child!"

He rubbed his eyes, and I grabbed his hand, kissing it, trying to provide some level of comfort. He took a ragged breath.

"She had pictures of our time together, pictures of me and the submissives. She has the ability to ruin me. And now, Esclava is destroyed, she's threatening to expose me if I don't fund her rebuilding."

"I won't let that happen," I said, wrapping my arms around him as he broke down in my arms.

Between sobs he managed to keep talking. "I don't know who killed Mia, I stole from my brother. I thought I could keep legitimate business separate from the illegal stuff, but right now, everything is about to unravel."

"Come on, Christian. Let's get out of here," I said. This place, The Jungle, was full of bad memories for him. "You know that we can keep everything separate. Right now, we need to get Issac back on board. I'll talk to Gwen. He's still Elena's submissive and he might know where the images are stored. He can access her records. She was stupid enough to try and steal from you, so she's stupid enough to think she won't get caught."

I had no idea if any of what I was saying was true, but Christian responded, pulling himself together. "Issac will help. He has always been a friend."

I nodded. "I'll call Gwen."

We reached Escala and Christian slipped away into his office. I called Gwen.

"We need Issac back. It's time to get Elena Lincoln out of the picture," I said into the phone as I gazed out at the impressive view of Seattle from the great room.

She sighed. "And this is the only way?"

"I'm sorry. I know it's bad practice to rehire employees. But if we spin it so that he was under duress and reduce what accounts he access to, it should pass through HR easily," I explained.

"I'll see what I can do. No promises though," she said. "I heard about Jose and the Cartel. How are you holding up?"

"Honestly, I'm not. It's not that I can't look past his involvement, it's more that I can't believe he didn't tell me and that Christian chose to reveal it such a fashion," I said, pressing my head against the cool glass.

"Christian only wants what's best for you," Gwen said. "He had a very terrible way of showing it, but he cares about you more than I've ever seen him care about anyone before. He turned his back on his entire family before he met you, ready to kill them all and take everything. But once you saved his life, he found a better way."

I didn't know what to say. Christian was always very tightlipped about everything. If Gwen knew this, then it was obviously true. "I just need time. I haven't had a chance to come to terms with everything yet."

"Take some time off, Anastasia. After this Elena situation, I'll be ready to pop and we can all take a step back. You can come and visit baby Bailey everyday. Just get some distance, okay?" she said.

"Of course!" I said. I loved Gwen and Ros and I was so thrilled when Christian told me Gwen was pregnant. "I'll get through it."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Ana," she said, hanging up. I slipped the phone into my pocket and grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen, chatting with Mrs. Jones quickly before heading towards Christian's office.

I knocked and the door swung open. Christian was standing in front of me, still dressed in yesterday's clothes, a smattering of stubble along his jaw line, still looking as gorgeous as ever. "Gwen just texted me. She's talking to HR now."

I smiled, handing him the water. "I know. She's not happy, Christian."

He frowned. "She can't know the whole truth, Anastasia. She knows a lot. And now, especially after Mia, I need to try and keep everything separate."

I raised an eyebrow. "Does Elena know about your families really occupation?"

He nodded. "Elena's ex-husband, Linc, still ships illegal guns to us from South America."

I grimaced and nodded. "He's untouchable?"

Christian nodded. "Until Carrick steps down and we find him a new pipeline. It's best just to leave that be. It's worked well for decades, so I don't want to change it until I'm fully in control of everything."

I gazed into Christian's eyes as he spoke, feeling a familiar tingle spread through my body when his tongue darted out to lick his lower lip. His lips twisted up into a smirk when he realized I was no longer listening to him.

He stopped talking and before I could react, his lips were on mine, firm and demanding, his tongue ravaging my mouth. I let my hands tangle in his hair, and he wrapped his arms around my waist, lifting me up. I moaned when my core came into contact with his hard length. Even through our jeans I could feel him, pulsing and ready. He began walking us towards his bedroom, his lips roaming down my throat.

I bucked against him, causing him to groan. "I'll take you right here if you don't stop."

I grinned as he pulled his face away from neck. "You owe me one, remember?"

He smirked. "You owe me one too, then. Let's take a shower."

I laughed as he threw me over his shoulder, swatting my behind playfully. This was how it was supposed to be. Playful and happy. He dropped me on the bed, hastily stripping out of his clothes as I hopped up and did the same, streaking into the bathroom.

I felt his arms wrap around my bare waist and his warm body press against my back as I turned the shower on. His hand trailed over my stomach and nestled between my folds, rubbing consistently, eliciting moans. "I like you wet and slippery."

Moaning as he slipped to fingers inside of me, I reached behind me to start stoking his twitching erection. He growled in my ear. The water began to steam and Christian removed his hands causing me to whimper as I followed him into the shower. "Ever since you walked into the bathroom topless, I have wanted this, Miss Steele."

I arched a brow at him, letting one of my own hands tweak one of his nipples. "That's very perverted, Mr. Grey."

"You have no idea, baby," he said, kissing me soundly as he pressed me into the cool glass. He lifted me up and then suddenly put me down, during his head in my shoulder. "Shit. I forgot a condom."

I chuckled. "Are you clean?"

He pulled back and looked at me. "I check every six months."

"Then what are you waiting for?" I asked, hitching one of my legs over his hip.

He grinned and slid into me, his moans mixing with my own as we found our bliss.

 ** _I really have a habit of making my main characters lose consciousness, don't I? Yes, this is kind of a filler, but it's a crucial chapter for what I want to set up!_**

 ** _Anyway, thank you guys for keeping me entertained with your theories! And thank you for all of the support, reviews, follows, and favs! I love interacting with you all, so feel free to drop me a line._**

 ** _Check out my other stories too! Especially_** ** _La Femme Fatale_** ** _if you like this genre! Also check out Dark Side of Love by Philaenis!_**

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Thank you to the members of the fabulous Facebook group- you know who you are! _**


	14. Chapter 14

_**A special thank you to Stargazer93 and Philaenis- amazing ladies and even more amazing authors!**_

After multiple, deliciously toe-curling orgasms, I was lying on top of Christian, enjoying the peace and quiet of the early morning. For the first time in a while I felt truly relaxed. But sex with Christian was bound to do that. He broke the silence first.

"What were you planning to do after graduation before Sawyer roped you into all of this?" he asked softly, trailing his fingers up and down my bare spine.

I turned my head, my chin resting in his chest. "I wanted to go into publishing. But no one hires English majors."

He chuckled. "I did."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, but we both know there were other things at play."

"I don't regret it though," he said seriously. "I can count on one hand the number of people who are truly loyal to me and whom I trust with my life. You're one of them."

I frowned. I was loyal, but I was too loyal. "I'm too loyal, Christian. When will you realize that?"

He shrugged. "As long as no one gets hurt, it's not a problem."

I sat up, grabbing the sheet. "People have been hurt! You let me kill for you."

"I never asked you to kill Sawyer, Anastasia. That's on you," he said harshly. I scoffed in disbelief.

"What the fuck?"

He shook his head, standing up from the bed. "Now we might have to deal with fallout of an FBI investigation. I don't blame you for killing him."

I frowned. "You need to decide what role you want me to play here, Christian. I can't be kept in the dark anymore. In case you didn't notice, I've been wading through shit for months. I'm surprised I haven't been killed yet. What am I to you Christian? A fuck buddy? An experiment to see if you can be with a normal woman instead of a submissive? Or am I just an employee you like sleeping with?"

He sighed and sat down on one of the arm chairs across the room after slipping on a pair of boxers. "I like having you around."

I rolled my eyes. "You need to spell it out."

Exhaling heavily, he ran a hand though his hair. "I don't know what to call this, what kind of relationship we have, but I see you by my side, every step of the way. In both capacities. I can't imagine being without you, Anastasia. I know you're planning to wait until Gwen comes back from her maternity leave to quit, but I don't think I can let you. You're too good at your job. And I know it's selfish to keep you here, under my roof, but I don't want to let you go."

I felt my face soften at his words. Christian needed more friends in his life. "What are you planning to do about Elliot?"

Christian sighed. "My parents are giving him one last chance. He had to build a new warehouse for one of our Mafia connections. If he fucks it up, or anyone gets wind of what he's building, he's out."

I raised an eyebrow. "So we just have to set it on fire?"

Christian shook his head. "I'm going to move some people from The Jungle and tell them to live there. Then, I'm going to kill our Mafia contact. We don't need any more from them and our business relationship has run its course. It's profitable for them to have us do their construction work, but their job of disposing bodies for us is a redundant service."

"Jesus," I said sitting down. I knew that the Grey family business was regarded as one of the most dangerous crime families or organizations in the world, but I never really made an effort to peer behind the curtain like this. "How involved is this person in the Mafia?"

He shrugged. "An associate would be the best word. It's just going to be a standard drive-by in a stolen car. Nothing that Clayton or Paul can't handle."

"What about Elena? Who killed Mia? Who bombed my apartment? Hell, who came after you that night at the bar?" I asked, struggling to wrap my mind around everything.

"Elena killed Mia," he said, defeated and with a tone of finality. My heart broke for him all over again. "The bar incident was an attempted assassination. But that was dealt with. As for your apartment, we still don't know anything. And as usual, the police are incompetent fuckers."

"What's the play?" I asked softly, walking over to him and gently lifting his chin up, forcing his eyes to meet mine.

"She has so much leverage, so many contingency plans if she gets killed. One of my past submissives claimed that she would leak images and documents if anything happened to Elena," he said. "I'm not sure I can even trace the trail, if I were to kill Susannah and Elena. She knows exactly what she's doing."

"Issac is coming back," I said. "We just need time, Christian. We'll figure this out."

He nodded and sighed. "We should get ready for work."

I nodded in agreement. It was going to be a long day. "Christian, you know you didn't have to buy me so many clothes, right?"

He chuckled. "Force of habit. I don't do things halfway, Anastasia. You should know that by now."

I left his bedroom and up to my white room to get dressed. I made a mental list of all of the things I had to get done today. I needed to talk to Barney and ask him if I should tell Christian about the mystery phone calls. And I needed another way to figure out what Christian's endgame was.

I was tired of operating from half-truths and guesses. And now there was a potential threat from the FBI, I needed to know everything. And with Grace panicking about losing control over her children, I really needed to know what Christian's true goal was.

I slipped into the elevator with him, both of us dressed in suits. I bit my lip.

"Christian, what will you do once you are in control of the family business?" I asked. He had never revealed his goal. Just that he wanted to take over.

He sighed. "Since Mia was killed, I'm going to do what I do best. I'm going to take it apart and sell the pieces to the highest bidder. That's why the Martinez Cartel is involved. They'll take over the coke running and meth cooking. As for the gun running, there's been interest from the IRA resurgence in Ireland to have contacts in the United States. They can get guns from Russia, but it's cheaper for them to be shipped from the US. Especially if they're dirty guns in the US, it will take them much longer for the Irish police to find out where they came from than if they came from Russia. So as it stands, the IRA is very interested in taking over the illegal gun business for us."

I was sure that my mouth was open in shock. "You're going to be selling guns to terrorists?"

He nodded. "I can't just stop the business. The suppliers from the Philippines will kill me if they have no one to distribute their guns to."

I frowned, but followed him into the Audi. There had to be another way. A different group that wouldn't do as much damage if they had got their hands on a direct pipeline of illegal weapons.

"Don't overthink it Anastasia. I need one clean shipment to go through, then I step away. Then, I can tip off the government about shipping routes and methods," he said, sensing my stress and fear.

I nodded. That was a risky option, but it was clear Christian was growing a conscience after Mia. "That's risky."

He nodded. "My hands are tied with all of this. Right now, I need to drop everything and focus on how to get Elena out of my life."

"You remember that I pulled Mia's phone records before the police right?" I asked him gently. He nodded, allowing me to continue. "I think Sawyer told her what Elena did to you. Mia went after her on her own. I killed Sawyer when he approached me at the funeral, probably trying to explain. I didn't let him talk, though."

Christian inhaled sharply. "Thank you for killing him. He deserved a fate worse than death."

I shivered at Christian's cold words. "I draw the line at death, Christian."

He chuckled darkly. "Then it's a good thing you weren't with Taylor when he picked up Flynn. Taylor was more than happy to take care of that fucker."

I bit my lip, under what to say or how to react. I appreciated Christian's honesty, but I still had to process everything. Speaking to Barney was the number one priority.

I waited patiently outside of Barney's office as soon as we arrived at GEH. Christian had legitimate business meetings to take of and he needed to show a little more involvement, especially with the FBI sniffing around.

"Anastasia, what can I do for you?" Barney asked, ushering me into his office, waving at me to sit down.

I smiled at him. "Christian explained much more about the family business."

Barney nodded. "About time. As I've mentioned, I am completely loyal to him, not to anyone else. I'm assuming you have a lot of questions."

I nodded. "I need some advice first. Should I mention the phone calls the Christian?"

Barney nodded. "The mysterious called never mentioned that you couldn't let anyone else know?"

"They just said 'we're always watching' as a cryptic warning," I explained.

"No harm in it. We've already enlisted Welch to help, but he's a dead end, so I don't see any dangers in tell him," Barney said. "Have you received any more calls?"

I shook my head. "Nothing has really happened. do you think Grace trusts me?"

Barney frowned. "Flynn never got a chance to reveal to her what he knew, further than a hunch he had about you. She won't trust any outsider though. But she does trust Christian, and by extension you. Tread carefully around her, Anastasia. She won't hesitate to hurt you if she thinks that you are influencing Christian in any way."

I nodded, heeding his warning. Grace was a formidable woman and that scared me. What scared me more was her ability to allow her son to be molested and raped without doing anything about it. Thinking about it, there was something fishy about her connection to Elena. I made a mental note to look into that option with Gwen. "What about the press and media attention, is there any way to control it?"

Barney shook his head. "There's no way to disprove the rumors about the crime family, and Christian is such an influential figure, they'll always be around. If you two are planning something, please tell Christian that he and I need to have a chat about planning."

I chuckled. "Everything he says sounds good on paper, but we both know he doesn't like to think about contingencies. I'm glad he has someone like you, Barney. He needs all the help he can get."

Barney nodded solemnly. "It's time he moves away from the less legal side of things. He can't afford to lose much more."

I gave him a sad, small smile as I left his office and nearly collided with Gwen.

"Oh thank goodness! We've got a situation," Gwen said hurriedly, dragging me back into Barney's office. He looked up at us, slightly surprised, but waited for Gwen. "Sorry Barney, we needed somewhere to talk. And, do you have your gun?"

I nodded, digging around in my bag and pulling it out.

"Great, we've got to go!" she exclaimed, about to open the door to the office.

"Gwen, what's going on?" I asked, concerned.

"Elliot has gone after the cartel. And this wasn't approved by Grace or Carrick, so we have to stop him before Christian deicides he's too much of a liability and kills him himself" she said impatiently. She pulled open the door, leaving me to follow her. "I'll explain more in the car, but we really have to go. You can think about this on the drive over."

I nodded and chambered a round, shoving my gun down the back of my pants, making sure my blazer covered the outline.

 _ **Wow! Thank you so much for the support! The response to this story has been and continues to be incredible :)**_

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	15. Chapter 15

I grimaced at the scene in front of me. Elliot was lying on the hard concrete outside of a latin bar. Christian was standing over him, holding his collar fisted in one hand as he continued to deliver punch after punch over Elliot's body. Two men, obviously the bouncers of the bar, were standing watching, but obviously not getting involved.

"Shit!" I exclaimed, jumping out of Gwen's car and running over to Christian. I grabbed Christian's arm, knowing he'd swing at me with the other one, but I was ready and ducked.

"Jesus, Anastasia!" he yelled, his face a mask of complete and utter fury. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

I stepped back and held my hands up. "Gwen told me Elliot was going after the Cartel. And I knew you would try and kill him yourself. You've stopped him."

Christian shrugged me off, dropping Elliot back onto the concrete. "Get up, Elliot."

I quickly stepped in between Christian and his brother. "Go home, Elliot."

He staggered back into his car, wiping the blood from his nose with the white sleeve of his shirt.

Christian exhaled heavily before climbing back into the black Audi and speeding away.

"Well that was interesting," I said, climbing back into Gwen's car. "Want to grab lunch?"

"You read my mind!" she said, pulling back into traffic. We didn't speak much. There was nothing that could be said about this situation. Either Christian was going to end up killing his brother if he didn't accept his place or Elliot was going to antagonize the Cartel enough so they would be the ones to put a bullet in his head.

We stopped quickly and Gwen caught my wrist before I could jump out of the car.

"Anastasia, you did the right thing. Elliot needs to be put in place, but he doesn't have to die at the hands of his brother. Christian may be angry now, but the anger if he had actually hurt Elliot would be much worse."

I nodded and hopped out of the car, trying to focus on choosing my lunch rather than the vicious pummeling I had just witnessed.

I was skimming through emails and munching on a salad when the door of Gwen's office burst open. Ros stuck her head in.

"Gwen we've got a personnel crisis on the fifth floor!"

Gwen nodded. "You can take a break, Ana. This is more of an HR thing anyway."

I nodded and held onto my salad as I stood. "I'm going to go and check in with Christian."

Ros smirked. "He is positively furious. He looks like he could beat someone black and blue."

My mouth dropped open and Ros chuckled as she took Gwen's hand and strolled towards the elevator. Shaking my head at her bluntness, I turned back towards Christian's office before Andrea waved me inside.

Christian's chair was turned towards the large floor to ceiling window in his office. I cleared my throat, hoping that he would turn around as he hadn't bothered to greet me when I opened the door.

"Every time I think I'm close to getting out, something else happens that derails all of my plans," he said softly, still not turning around. "This time it was you."

I frowned. "Are you really blaming me for not letting you kill Elliot? For not letting you kill you brother?"

He sighed. "Elliot is a nuisance."

"He's your family! How can you possibly say that? You'd hate yourself if you had killed him!"

"He's not really my brother."

"That's the saddest thing I've ever heard you say, Christian. Elliot is preventing you from taking over, but right now you need to push this aside and focus on the real enemy," I said, hoping that I was distracting him from his anger.

"And who do you believe is the real enemy?" he asked, turning his chair around.

"Elena," I said evenly. His furious steel eyes met mine. I refused to break eye contact, no matter how forceful his gaze. I wasn't a submissive and I would not yield to him on this. He needed to understand.

"What do you propose we do? Please, tell me Anastasia. You seem to know what's best."

I sighed and ignored his dig. "You've already taken care of the first step. We gave guns to the Cartel. We need to give them the contact in the Philippines. As for Elena's ex-husband, his guns will need to go somewhere else too. I know you mentioned the IRA, but why not kill two birds with one stone."

He raised an eyebrow. "How? Linc is protected. Virtually untouchable and sitting in his compound in South Africa."

"We order a large shipment. You store them at one of the salons. Then call the cops. On her way to prison, we call in a favor with the Cartel and the transport van explodes."

He pursed his lips together, eyes narrowing as he regarded me. "What about the pictures? She had copies and backups in place if she was ever arrested."

"This is a risk, but I'm willing to bet that she ordered the release of the pictures if she was arrested for charges against you. This is arms dealing, gun trafficking. Like I said, it's a risk that you might have to take."

He frowned. "I'm not comfortable with that."

I sat down in one of the chairs opposite his desk. "Christian, you've managed to build an incredible, legitimate company. It's clean and has never been rocked by scandal. You've got a brilliant PR department. In fact, I'm willing to bet again that after the mess dies down if the photos are released, and that's a big if, that it will be forgotten. don't forget how many cyber attacks Welch manages to derail everyday with people attempting to find dirt on you. Once you're out of the business, this is the only dirt you have to worry about."

He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "Call Gwen. I want you leading this. She will be leaving halfway through this mess and I want to get her out of the line of fire."

I nodded. "I'm going to go and update Barney. Then we need a plan for your parents. I think that Linc will obviously have people after us here, especially as we are cutting off his last pipeline back to the States. You cannot officially take control yet. Not until Linc forces your parents to relinquish their power."

Christian sighed. "My father will come after me. He'll figure all of this out, Anastasia."

I shrugged. "Then we run. Just for a little, until the dust clears. After that, we'll come back and fight."

"No, that's not an option," Christian said. "They need to be eliminated."

"Christian…" I whispered.

He shut his eyes and his voice sounded vulnerable. "They stopped being my parents when they forced me to kill before I left high school."

"We could talk to Barney," I suggested frantically, trying to prevent him from making this tragic decision.

He shook his head. "It's me or them. And I have to choose me. I've never been able to before."

I got up and walked around his desk and perched on his lap. I draped my arms lightly around his shoulders and squeezed. He tucked his head into my neck and I felt the slight vibrations in his breathing as he tried to breathe through his sobs. I ran my fingers through his hair, stroking and hoping that I was providing even a semblance of comfort.

There was noting I could say. There was no way to sugarcoat it, or convince him that his parents were in fact monsters.

He pulled back after a while and kissed my neck lightly. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me, Christian."

"Yes I do. You saved my life and now you're helping me to be able to live my life the way I want."

I kissed him lightly on the lips, pulling away regardless of how much I wanted to glue myself to him. "Well, there's work to be done."

"Do you want to call the Joses or should I?" I asked, sensing that Christian was ready to put his emotional release behind him.

He stood, commanding his office with his familiar confidence. No one would ever know that Christian had spent the better part of an hour mourning his parents' impending demise. He pushed the intercom button on his desk.

"Andrea, please have Jose Rodriguez Sr. and his son over for a meeting as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir."

Christian turned to me. "We have to take care of someone else too. That's what we can do for now."

I felt my lips quirk up at his deadly smirk. "Flynn?"

He nodded. "We may not have to kill him. But I think you would enjoy having a persuasive conversation with him. I know I find it strangely cathartic."

He kept that killer smirk on his face as he took my hand and buttoning his suit jacket with the other. "Let's go."

 _ **Hi! It's been way too long. I'd be surprised if anyone**_ __ _ **actually ends up reading this chapter. Yes, it's short. But it's the beginning of the end for these two. This story won't remain unfinished**_ __ _ **forever.**_

 _ **I've had an incredibly rough year, but all of**_ __ _ **the shit that has prevented me from writing**_ __ _ **has finally be taken care of.**_

 _ **Thank you to those of you who continued to try and review even though I wasn't able to post. This chapter is for you.**_


	16. Chapter 16

Escala was completely silent. I had expected Mrs. Jones or Taylor to be around making sure that the apartment was well taken care of. It was strange that it was starting to feel more and more like home as my stay with Christian extended and turned into a more permanent arrangement. I made a mental note to talk to him about that as we sat and waited in the living area of the great room.

Christian was gazing out over the city of Seattle, his brow slightly furrowed and his hair in its usual disarray. He was beautiful.

The doorbell chime interrupted Christian's musing and my gaze. Two sets of footsteps echoed through the apartment as we watched Taylor step aside to reveal the impeccably dressed John Flynn. I cocked my head and narrowed my eyes, not bothering to mask the animosity that was so plain to see on my face.

"Hello Christian, Anastasia," Flynn said, strolling towards one of the chairs and making himself comfortable without any prompting from Christian. It was evident from his body language that he felt in control of this meeting. "I was relatively surprised that you both insisted on meeting me with such urgency. What seems to be the problem?"

I sighed and stood. "There's something that you need to know Mr. Flynn."

He smirked. "Anastasia, it's John to you, or Flynn. There's no need for such formalities between us."

I grinned salaciously, biting my top lip with an exaggerated slowness. "Are you wearing a wire?"

His eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

I shrugged, crossing my arms. "Well since you seem to be comfortable taking patient sessions in their own homes rather than your office, you must be recording them somehow. It's no matter, but what I am going to say I would like to remain off of the record. I didn't sign any waiver that permitted you to record our conversations. So if you are recording, I'd recommend you switch it off and place it on the coffee table. Or I'll take you to court."

Flynn sighed and pulled a recording device out of his pocket. I stepped over to the table and dropped it in the pitcher of water, meeting Christian's eyes briefly. They were alight with humor and there was shrewd look of pride on his face.

"Now, Christian, please be a dear and call Clayton and Paul," I said airily, sitting down.

Flynn glanced at Christian. "What's going on?"

I snorted. "We're destroying all of your files, your computer. Oh, that reminds me. I need to call Welch to get him to erase your online presence too."

Flynn looked startled and glanced nervously at Christian again, who had his back to us. I could hear the soft sound of orders being given.

"We know that you've been feeding Grace information about Christian for years. We know that you are loyal to her. What we don't like is that you aren't loyal to Christian. You betrayed him," I said evenly, glancing at my nails. "It's such a shame, John. Christian trusted you. And he could have made you successful."

I shook my head standing and taking my place beside Christian, staring down at the man who had been feeding his mother information about his private thoughts and feelings. "You have nothing left, John. Your practice has been disbanded and your license will be revoked."

John shook his head. "I don't want to threaten either of you…"

"Oh shut the fuck up, John!" I shouted, raising my voice. "No one cares what empty threats you have. Least of all me! I've killed people, John. I didn't really like it. But nothing will give me more satisfaction than watching you die. Do yourself a favor and go back to England. Start over. Forget the Grey family. Forget Christian. Because I will not forget you. We will be watching you. And I will not hesitate to kill you. Now, as you leave psychoanalyze that. You'll realize I'm not fucking lying."

I turned to Christian, ignoring the disgusting man that only fueled Christian's problems rather than attempting to help him cope with them. As the ding of the elevator signaled his departure, Christian tugged me to him and caught my lips in a ferocious kiss. His tongue invaded my mouth, plundering it. He was taking what he needed and I was getting what I needed.

Before I could comprehend the loss of his mouth on mine, I was bent over the back of the couch, my skirt up over my hips and my panties pushed to the side. His fingers were surprisingly gentle and teasing as he checked to see how ready I was. I pressed back into him, moaning when I felt the heat of his rigid member at my entrance.

With no preamble, he thrust into me, growling as I clenched around the pleasurable intrusion. Liquid heat flew through my veins as he set a furious pace, his chest pressing into my back as he forced my legs wider apart. A surprisingly dexterous hand found my clit, eliciting moan after moan as I chased the feeling I had been craving for so long.

I felt myself tightening, nearly beyond the point of no return and Christian's fingers continued to explore, tracing through my crease and pressing lightly over my rosebud over and over. Forcing my hips up into his, he took that as a sign to slip the tip of his finger slightly harder into my second hole, catapulting me off the edge of the cliff I had been balancing over. I barely heard his shout of release as I felt the scalding hot liquid that signaled his completion coat my most intimate parts.

After catch our breathe, Christian slid from me with a groan. He was still bent over me and I shivered as I felt him press light kisses to back and side of my neck.

"You were made for me, Anastasia. You are mine."

He strolled away and I fixed my skirt before looking up and seeing him extend a hand. "Let's clean up."

We were silent apart from our feverish moans as we washed each other in the hot water of the shower. I had missed this feeling- being with Christian in all senses of the word. This life separated us more than either of us wanted to recognize and I knew it was part of the reason why he was so focused on destroying the less than legal part of his business.

I strolled to my room to grab some fresh clothes. It was late afternoon and I had a feeling our evening would be busy too. Christian was nothing if not dedicated to his goals, a little obsessive even. And with his lack of sleep, I knew that he was willing to move Hell and Earth to get out of the life he was currently leading. And it was a huge risk.

I met Christian back in the kitchen, slipping my hand into his as he sipped a glass of water seated at the breakfast bar.

"We have a dinner meeting with the Rodriguez duo and my Filipino gun contact. They are both extremely eager to meet," Christian stated, looking at his empty glass as his rolled it in his hand.

"What's the risk?" I asked.

"It's a deal for both of them. We charged an additional fifteen percent on either end and made a tidy profit. For them both, they are more than happy and willing to cut out the middle man. Plus, there's no way for any of my involvement to be proved once I hand over the business decisions to them," he stated. He glanced at my shyly. "It's more that this signifies the beginning of the end. Running guns- it was the first thing I was trusted to do. I was good at it. But now, it's time to move on."

"But you think moving on is for the best," I stated questioningly.

"Yes," he sighed. "I genuinely do."

He stood and pressed a tender kiss to my temple as he placed his hand at the small of my back to guide me to the elevator. Taylor nodded at us and I couldn't help but smile at the man who was in charge of keeping Christian safe. He was unwaveringly loyal and I couldn't help but admire his dedication to the man I cared about too.

Christian was on a call with Ros about a humanitarian shipment to Yemen that was having trouble at the port. It warmed my heart to see him fighting for something completely selfless rather than pointing a gun at someone else. Christian and I had never really spent time in the "getting to know each other" phase of our complicated and undefined relationship. What we had was not normal, but I was willing to make such a sacrifice. Learning about the man that was brainstorming solutions with his partner in a less than typical way was just as thrilling as watching him stalk through the bar towards me. Christian was right. We were made for each other.

Taylor pulled up at the curb and Christian quickly ended his call and rushed me into the restaurant. It was an Italian place and I couldn't help but wonder if this was a favored place for Christian to do business based on the connections of the owners. I'd have to ask him later.

A private booth at the back was suddenly in my field of vision and I smiled at Jose Sr. and Jose Jr. They both stood as they saw us approach and greeted Christian with friendly handshakes and kisses on my cheeks. A dark haired man appeared behind Christian and introduced himself as Danilo Revelo.

We sat down and I smiled and laughed as the pleasantries were exchanged over appetizers. Christian was relaxed and cheerful as Jose Sr. and Danilo began to interview each other, swapping stories and ribbing each other in Spanish. It was strangely warming to watch their interaction and I couldn't help but wonder if Christian and I would ever be able to enjoy cheerful meals with our friends as we looked towards a more prosperous future. Something told me we might not.

"So gentlemen, are we in agreement?" Christian asked.

Jose Jr. winked at me and nodded. "Cutting yourself out of this process was the best gift you could give both of us Mr. Grey. Should you ever need us for protection, you have our loyalty."

Christian tipped his glass of wine at Jose. "Thank you, Mr. Rodriguez. I will not forget that."

"Nor will I," Danilo said, chuckling. "We know what a risk you are taking with your parents and we are very aware that you want out of this business. It's one less competitor for us. In good faith we want to assist you if you need any help."

I nodded at Danilo. He was a cheerful and warm man with a very kind demeanor. I glanced up at Christian who once again tipped his glass in a gesture of gratitude. The rest of the meal flew by and Christian insisted that we leave before dessert. After firm handshakes and well-wishes, Christian brought me out of the restaurant through the back.

Once we were in the car, he explained in more detail. "We have one month before my parents expect Elliot to oversee the transfer of the next shipment of guns. That shipment will never come and my parents will never get their money. We have to figure out a solution by then."

I nodded. "We will, Christian. Right now, we need to eliminate Elena and then we can worry about the last piece of the puzzle."

"I agree. But right now, I can't help but wonder how the gun market will shift and if Linc will find out about this change and let my parents know. We have to take care of him immediately," Christian said.

"Why can't you just eliminate him in South Africa?" I asked, puzzled as to why I hadn't thought of that solution sooner.

"I would, but my parents would know immediately. No one else but our family, his ex-wife, and his employees know where he is hiding. Elena relies on Linc being alive for money so the arrow would point directly at us," he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm not willing to take that kind of risk with you, Ana. You've saved my life twice and killed for me. Now it's my turn to keep you safe."

I nodded and my phone buzzed, distracting me.

"It's Katherine," I said, puzzled.

Christian scowled. "What does she want?"

I frowned at the text. "She wants to meet me for coffee."

"If you go, I'm coming with you," Christian commanded. "I don't trust her, especially after she refused to be your friend after the explosion."

"That's a point," I said. "Do you know what happened or who called me?"

Christian shook his head. "All evidence points to Luke Sawyer, but there is no way to be certain. He was good at this game. As for the calls Welch is still waiting for another before revealing his suspicions to me. It's something to do with a third call helping to pinpoint the locations more accurately."

I sighed. "There's so much I want to get done and I now feel like we are just waiting."

Christian smirked at me. "Anastasia, this is not waiting. We are biding our time and waiting for our prey to approach us."

I rolled my eyes at him and tucked my head into his shoulder as Taylor continued to whisk us away towards Escala.

 _ **Thank you for all of the support and wonderful reviews! I'm so excited to unveil the long-awaited conclusion to this story and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying writing it again.**_


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